Japan, Britain, Italy Vow Cooperation on Fighter Jet

Tokyo, Feb. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held talks separately with his counterparts from Britain and Italy in Munich, southern Germany, on Friday, confirming cooperation toward joint development of a next-generation fighter jet. Koizumi, British Defense Secretary John Healey and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also shared the recognition that security in the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable. In a separate meeting, Koizumi and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation between NATO and the so-called IP4 framework involving Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, emphasizing its importance for deterrence. The talks were held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in the German city. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]