PremiumThe deal will allow UK forces to be deployed to Japan in what London called ‘the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century’.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida will ink a ‘hugely significant’ new defence agreement when the two sides will meet in London on Wednesday, according to AFP reports.
Both the leaders will discuss Japan's current presidency of the G7 and the need to maintain our collective support for Ukraine, according to an official statement from Sunak's office.
The deal will allow UK forces to be deployed to Japan in what London called ‘the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century’.
"In the past 12 months, we have written the next chapter of the relationship between the UK and Japan -- accelerating, building and deepening our ties," Sunak said as quoted by AFP.
"This Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant for both our nations -- it cements our commitment to the Indo-Pacific and underlines our joint efforts to bolster economic security."
Japan PM Kishida on Monday left for security focused talks with Japan's G7 allies in Europe and North America which ends with a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday.
In Paris, he and Emmanuel Macron pledged deeper ties, with the French president promising to maintain "joint actions in the Pacific" and France's "unfailing support" against North Korean aggression. In turn, Kishida vowed G7 support for Ukraine, AFP reported.
Last month, the UK, Italy and Japan said that they will jointly develop a future fighter jet.
The new "Global Combat Air Programme" is slated to produce its first jets by 2035, merging the three nations' costly existing research into new aerial war technology, from stealth capacity to high-tech sensors.
Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures. However, Tokyo is poised to make the largest overhaul to its security strategy in decades, in the light of the war in Ukraine, repeated missile launches from North Korea and growing pressure from China.
The leaders are also expected to discuss trade, including the UK's possible accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
(With AFP inputs)