NATO chief, Japan defense minister discuss security, defense industry cooperation

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi discussed the global security environment and defense industrial cooperation at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.

The two officials also exchanged views on continued support for Ukraine, according to a NATO statement.

Rutte emphasized the importance of the alliance's partnership with Japan and highlighted the growing connection between security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.

Japan is one of NATO's four Indo-Pacific partners, alongside Australia, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

NATO said it has maintained dialogue and cooperation with Japan since the early 1990s, adding that developments in the Indo-Pacific directly affect Euro-Atlantic security, making cooperation with partners in the region "important for the alliance."