Signing of Japan-UK Reciprocal Access Agreement

 
On January 11 (local time; January 12 JST), Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who is visiting the United Kingdom, signed the Agreement between Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the facilitation of reciprocal access and cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“Japan-UK Reciprocal Access Agreement”, or “Japan-UK RAA”) with the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
 
1. The Japan-UK RAA is an agreement which establishes procedures between Japan and the UK for the cooperative activities conducted by defence force of one country while visiting the other country, and defines a status of the visiting force. The UK is the second country, after Australia, to sign the RAA with Japan.
 
2. It is expected that the Japan-UK RAA will simplify procedures when implementing cooperative activities, such as port calls of vessels and joint exercises between the two countries and further promote bilateral security and defense cooperation.
 
3. The international security environment is becoming more severe in various parts of the world, as the international order that has been established is challenged by Russia's aggression against Ukraine and attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas. Against this backdrop, the Japan-UK security and defense cooperation will be lifted to new heights and the movement toward the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific” will be further enhanced by the signing of this important security agreement between Japan and the UK, each other's closest security partners in Asia and Europe.