United States / Japan. Japan and the United States agree on a cooperative program against defense threats

Madrid, 7 (European Press)

The US and Japanese authorities held a two-way meeting Thursday where they agreed on a new program on which they would cooperate to address “emerging defense-related problems,” just two days after North Korea launched a hypersonic missile. In the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan – known in Korea as the East Sea.

“We are launching a new research and development agreement that will make it easier for our scientists, engineers, and program managers to collaborate on emerging defense-related issues, from combating hypersonic threats to developing special capabilities,” the US Secretary of State announced. States, Anthony Blinken.

In addition, Blinken emphasized that within the next five years, the US government would invest “more resources” to “deepen” military readiness and operational capabilities to support Japan.

For his part, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, valued the alliance between the two countries as “the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the” Indo-Pacific “not only in common interests, but also in common values.”

“We meet in the context of the growing tensions and challenges for the free, stable and secure Indo-Pacific region that we seek together: challenges posed by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and China’s aggressive and coercive behavior,” Austin stressed.

After these statements, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi valued the importance of uniting Washington and Tokyo to face “fundamental and multifaceted challenges such as the change in the strategic balance, the unilateral and coercive attempt to change the ‘status quo’, and the arbitrary use of unfair pressure and the expansion of the authoritarian regime.”

Thus, Hayashi called for maintaining a “free and open international order,” based on common rules, through which “peace, stability and regional prosperity are guaranteed.” He concluded by saying, “It is more important than ever that Japan and the United States be united and show leadership because the two countries share interests.”

Finally, Japan’s Defense Minister, Nobuo Kishi, agreed with his government colleague and emphasized the importance of launching a message of unity between American and Asian countries, “even by videoconferencing”, to show the world’s “strong solidarity”. that unite them.