A New Era of Japan-EU Cooperation: the Digital Partnership

This Info Flash outlines the development of the EU-Japan cooperation that saw several improvements over the last few years in politics, development, strategy, and security. Their bilateral agenda has been constantly dominated by digital and technological issues in order to improve the degree of global connectivity. Despite the many challenges raised by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian War, the digital partnership between the EU and Japan has broadened from public services and digital infrastructures to technological skills for citizens and innovation businesses.

Comments Off on A New Era of Japan-EU Cooperation: the Digital Partnership

Russia Deploys Bastion Coastal Defence Systems in the Kuril Islands Amid Tensions with Japan

On December 5th, 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defence (Ministerstvo Oborony Rossii) declared that Russia had deployed mobile coastal defence missile systems – K-300P Bastion Systems – on the northern Kuril Island of Paramushir (Japan Today, Dec 6, 2022). The Russian Bastion missile system is known to be an effective mobile launch platform of the supersonic anti-ship P-800 Oniks (NATO codename SS-N-26 Strobile) that have reportedly been launched in the southern districts of Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion (The Eurasian Times, Dec 5, 2022).

Comments Off on Russia Deploys Bastion Coastal Defence Systems in the Kuril Islands Amid Tensions with Japan

Enhancing the EU Partnership with Japan: A Fundamental Actor in the Indo-Pacific Region

The European Union (EU) has recently increased its focus on the Indo-Pacific region due to its commercial and military importance. The Joint Communication of the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued in September 2021, is significant proof of the EU’s interest in this part of the world and presents the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. This cooperation, as illustrated by the Communication, takes various forms, including completing trade agreements or resuming trade negotiations with several states in the area (including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines), reinforcing the EU’s support in fields such as the healthcare system and fisheries management, and enhancing naval deployment by EU Member States (MS) to protect sea lines of communication and freedom of navigation (European Commission & High Representative, 2021).

Comments Off on Enhancing the EU Partnership with Japan: A Fundamental Actor in the Indo-Pacific Region