France and Japan agree to strengthen military cooperation
France and Japan have agreed to start negotiations on a mutual access agreement, thus strengthening military cooperation amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and the war in Ukraine.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Reuters.
In recent years, the G7 allies have conducted numerous joint military exercises both bilaterally and within broader groups of countries.
"They agreed to start negotiations. Given the experience of previous cooperation and military exercises, we consider this important," a Japanese government official said during a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
The Japanese official said that the conclusion of a defense deal with France could take about a year. A French diplomatic source noted that Paris hopes to sign the document "very quickly."
It is noted that during the negotiations, the countries intend to emphasize that they can play a more important role in each other's defense industry. France also intends to offer Japan its products in the civilian nuclear energy sector.
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 03/05/2024
