Germany steps up Indo-Pacific push, eyeing visiting-forces pact with Japan
The defense chiefs of Japan and Germany agreed Sunday to expand military cooperation and ramp up activities between their countries' armed forces as Tokyo and Berlin seek closer alignment in response to an increasingly volatile global security environment.Following an hourlong meeting at the naval facility in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, pledged to step up cooperation “in various forms” across a wide range of defense-related areas, including military-industrial cooperation.To address the challenges facing the international community and to strengthen deterrence, “it’s more important than ever for the two countries to work closely together,” Koizumi told journalists in a press briefing held at the naval base. This will include regular defense consultations, including on how to respond to potential crises.
