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Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry of Defence on consultations between the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Germany and Japan
Today, Foreign Minister Maas and Defence Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer for the first time held joint political and security policy consultations via video teleconference with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Motegi and Defence Minister Kishi. The agenda included, among other things, regional issues such as security and stability in the South and East China Seas and on the Korean peninsula, other international issues, as well as ideas for deepening cooperation between the two countries at bilateral and multilateral level, including cooperation between the EU and Japan.
With its adoption of Policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific, the German Government has decided to step up its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. In the context of these efforts, the 2+2 Ministerial consultations with Japan underscore the close, trust-based relations between Germany and Japan.
Foreign Minister Maas made the following statement on the occasion of the consultations between Germany and Japan:
So that Germany and Europe can continue to help actively shape the world of tomorrow, we must strengthen our engagement in Asia in particular, where important global decisions for the future will be made in this century. If we do not become more active, others will write the rulebook of the future – not only in economic, but also in political and security policy terms. We want to prevent both hegemony and the formation of blocs; instead, we advocate for a rules-based, transparent and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific region. Our cooperation with Japan plays an important role in this regard, because Japan is a key partner of Germany, based on shared values, to promote multilateralism, the rule of law and human rights.
Federal Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer issued the following statement on the occasion of the consultations between Germany and Japan:
The situation in the Indo-Pacific region concerns us all. It is both in Germany’s and in Europe’s interest that the rules ensuring free trade routes and territorial integrity be observed, and that our democratic partners be strengthened. The planned Japanese-German monitoring of the United Nations’ arms embargo against North Korea is an important effort to ensure security in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategically relevant Agreement on the Security of Information recently signed by Japan and Germany gives us important opportunities for cooperation between our intelligence services, but also in terms of armaments, technology and cyber security.