INTERVIEW: Japan’s NATO Envoy Highlights Importance of European Stability

Brussels, July 6 (Jiji Press)–Maintaining stability in Europe, with which Japan shares fundamental values, serves the country’s interests, Japanese Ambassador to NATO Osamu Izawa said in an interview with Jiji Press. Izawa pointed out that even if U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration scales back its involvement in European defense, the region can avert instability by strengthening its own defense capabilities. He brushed aside concerns about trans-Atlantic tensions over issues such as the war in Iran. NATO’s unity, based on collective defense, is unwavering, he said, adding that the alliance is “rock-solid.” Referring to a NATO summit set for Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey, Izawa said that it was “most important” for the leaders of NATO’s 32 member states to demonstrate the alliance’s presence to the international community. He said that Japan-NATO bonds are becoming even stronger through support for Ukraine and defense industry cooperation. “We only engaged in dialogue in the past, but now we are truly working together,” he said. While referring to the dispatch last month of four Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel to the headquarters of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine in Germany, Izawa said that information and lessons learned there “will help enhance Japan’s security.” Izawa said that the recognition of the inseparability of security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions has become increasingly widespread within NATO. North Korea’s deployment of troops to support Russia’s war with Ukraine and China’s support for Moscow’s war effort deepened the linkage between European and Asian security, he said. He underscored the importance of Japan’s continued support for Ukraine in cooperation with NATO. If unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force are allowed, “it would not bring favorable results to the Asia-Pacific region,” Izawa said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]