Japan and the European Union are preparing to issue a joint statement that features a pledge to expand security cooperation at their upcoming summit talks, Report informs referring to NHK.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is scheduled to visit Europe from July 11 through July 14. He will hold a regular summit with EU leaders in Brussels after taking part in a NATO summit in Lithuania.
In the envisioned joint statement, Kishida and the European leaders will pledge to bolster responses to cyberattacks and step up efforts for joint operation and development of communications satellites. They will also vow to expand security cooperation in outer space and the high seas.
During the summit, the leaders are expected to agree to forge closer ties in economic security, including plans to strengthen supply chains of semiconductors. They will also agree on a new framework for regular meetings between ministers in charge of security issues.
The Japanese government is seeking to get a deeper EU commitment in the Indo-Pacific region in a bid to counter an increasingly assertive China and ensure peace and stability of the region.