NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, made his first trip to the Indo-Pacific in this capacity this week (8-9 April 2025) where he was hosted by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, in Tokyo, on Wednesday. They took stock of the long-standing partnership between NATO and Japan, agreeing a joint statement that aims to boost this relationship even further.
"Japan is one of NATO's most valued partners, and today we set out our vision on how to further strengthen our cooperation," the Secretary General said. "Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine, and its economy is on war footing. And it has not given up its ambitions to reshape European security. Meanwhile, China is pursuing a major military build-up, and seeks to control key technologies, critical infrastructure, and supply chains. It continues to carry out destabilising activities in the Indo-Pacific, and we also see North Korean troops and weapons being used against Ukraine - in return for Russia's support to North Korea's illegal weapons programmes." He highlighted that "in a more dangerous world, NATO and Japan stand strong, to protect our values, our freedom and the peace."
Secretary General Rutte hailed Japan's plan to invest 2% of its GDP in defence by 2027 and the country's continued investments, which he believes will "make Japan's already capable forces even stronger." Furthermore, he underscored the value of Japan's multifaceted support to Ukraine, including through the imposition of sanctions against Russia, the signature of a security agreement between Japan and Ukraine, and substantial contributions to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package Trust Fund for Ukraine. The NATO Secretary General also highlighted the importance to bolster NATO's collaboration with Japan on key areas including defence industrial production, cyber defence and maritime security.
During his two-day visit to Japan, the Secretary General also met with the Minister of Defence of Japan, Gen Nakatani, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Investment, Yogi Muto, and with Members of the Japanese Diet Council for Comprehensive Security.
Mr Rutte visited Yokosuka Naval Base on Tuesday, where he was briefed by Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces aboard a Mogami-class frigate. He also visited Mitsubishi Electric's Kamakura Works and took part in a roundtable discussion with Japanese dual use start-ups.
