PARIS: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Thursday to initiate negotiations on a reciprocal access agreement, which will enable the two countries to facilitate closer defence cooperation, such as joint exercises and disaster relief operations.
Japan has reciprocal access agreements (RAAs) with Australia and Britain, enabling their defence forces to smoothly access each other’s territory for diverse purposes.
Additionally, Japan has agreed with the Philippines to initiate talks for such an accord, Kyodo News Agency reported.
Kishida met with Macron as Tokyo has been stepping up efforts to strengthen security relations with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region to better deal with China’s growing military assertiveness in nearby waters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit France and meet with Macron later this month, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
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Japan and France have already signed separate deals to expand their security cooperation, including an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement that simplifies the process of sharing food, fuel, and ammunition between their forces.
On Thursday, Kishida and Macron also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in other security areas, as well as in economic sectors such as the creation of supply chains to secure rare earths and other minerals.
The leaders discussed how to boost investment in startups and shared hope that bilateral exchanges will be further accelerated through the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, as well as the World Exposition in Osaka in 2025, according to the ministry.
France has strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, as it has overseas territories in the area, such as New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Meanwhile, Tokyo has been at odds with Beijing over the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
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