Japan, Germany foreign ministers agree to boost security cooperation
During the first "strategic dialogue" between the two nations, Iwaya and Wadephul agreed at a meeting in Tokyo to work closely toward a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
The ministers also pledged to cooperate on Indo-Pacific issues, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and on the Middle East, where a humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza amid Israeli attacks, the ministry said.
"With the international order facing a severe situation, there has been a growing need for cooperation between Japan and Germany," Iwaya said at the outset of the meeting, while Wadephul described Japan as Germany's "special partner in Asia," sharing common values.
After the talks, Wadephul told reporters that China is helping Moscow wage its war in Ukraine by supplying dual-use items and buying Russian crude oil, adding "attempts to change the status quo" have been observed in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas.
Iwaya and Wadephul also agreed to step up efforts to ensure economic security, including reinforcing supply chains, according to the Japanese ministry.
Wadephul is on a three-day visit to Japan through Wednesday in his first trip to the Asian country since he became foreign minister in May following the inauguration of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Japan and Germany, both Group of Seven members, have been beefing up their security relations in recent years, sharing the view that the security of Asia and Europe is inseparable.
In July last year, a bilateral "acquisition and cross-servicing agreement" took effect to facilitate joint exercises by simplifying the process of sharing defense supplies between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the German military.
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