NATO and Indo-Pacific partners strengthen defence and cyber cooperation

Ankara (ANTARA) - Japan, NATO, and three other Indo-Pacific partners agreed on Tuesday (7/7) to strengthen cooperation in the fields of defence industry and cybersecurity, reaffirming that European security cannot be separated from Indo-Pacific security during talks in Ankara.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, alongside senior officials and leaders from four other Indo-Pacific partners, namely South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy, and New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk attended the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the two-day NATO Summit beginning on Tuesday (7/7).

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rutte and representatives from the Indo-Pacific nations engaged in an honest exchange of views regarding the international situation, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, challenges related to China, Indo-Pacific issues such as the response to North Korea, and the situation in Iran.

The Ministry stated that Motegi emphasised that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable, as evidenced by the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

He stated that the strong relationship between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners will contribute to global peace and stability, expressing his intention to deepen cooperation with NATO and strengthen strategic ties.

Rutte expressed his gratitude to the four nations for their support of Ukraine, according to the ministry.

On Monday (6/7), Rutte stated during a press conference that he had exchanged messages with Koizumi following China’s military testing of ballistic missiles launched from a submarine.

Rutte described this as “proof that we must not be naive about China,” and emphasised the need for closer cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners.