NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has arrived at Iruma Air Base, where he is greeted by Toshiro Ino, State Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff of the Air Defense Force, on January 31. The Secretary General visited the air base, where he spoke to the troops and actually toured the various aircraft and air defense systems.
The following day, Jens Stoltenberg met with the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, in the office, and joint press statements were issued after the meeting. Kishida said, “I welcome NATO’s deepening interest and involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.” Both sides outlined the expansion of security cooperation between Japan and NATO, motivated by a shared understanding of the need to counter China and Russia.
The Secretary General gave a speech at Keio University in Tokyo in which he emphasized that “we may be oceans apart, but our security is closely connected.” Mr. Stoltenberg stated, “Among NATO’s partners, none is closer or more capable than Japan.” We share the same values, interests, and concerns, such as supporting Ukraine and addressing the security threats posed by authoritarian regimes. The Secretary General applauded the fact that the enduring alliance between NATO and Japan is growing stronger by the day.
Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, to wrap up his contacts.
