During a two-day visit to Japan, Secretary of State for
Defence met with
Japan’s Prime Minister Suga and Defence Minister Kishi and
reaffirmed the UK and Japan’s shared values and close partnership
in defence and security ahead of the visit of the UK’s Carrier
Strike Group to Japan in September.
In his meeting with Prime Minster Suga, the Secretary of State
emphasised the UK and Japan’s common strategic interests, their
commitment to stability in the region and a free and open
Indo-Pacific.
During a joint press conference with Defence Minister Kishi, the
Secretary of State announced the Japanese ports that elements of
the Carrier Strike Group will be visiting. They will be Sasebo,
Okinawa, Kure, Yokosuka, and Maizuru. Speaking to media on Monday
the Secretary of State also emphasised the robust Covid-19
infection prevention and control measures on board the Carrier
Strike Group. This will ensure the visit to Japan will be safe,
secure and productive.
Following on from the Carrier Strike Group’s inaugural
deployment, the UK will permanently assign two offshore patrol
vessels to the Indo-Pacific region from later this year. It will
also contribute a Littoral Response Group (LRG) in the coming
years, thereby demonstrating the UK’s commitment to collective
defence and security in the region in the decades ahead.
The Secretary of State was accompanied Admiral Antony Radakin,
First Sea Lord, and Air Chief Marshal Michael Wigston, Chief of
Air Staff. During the visit the Secretary of State and delegation
met with senior leadership from the Japanese Self Defence Forces
and the U.S Forces in Japan.
Secretary of State for Defence, said:
The UK’s defence relationship with Japan is the closest it has
been in the last century.
Following exercises with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force
in the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Japan, the upcoming
visit of the UK-led Carrier Strike Group to five ports across
the country is a clear demonstration of our commitment to
maintaining regional security and upholding the rules-based
international order with Japan.
Julia Longbottom, British Ambassador to Japan said:
The visit to Japan by senior members of the UK’s armed forces
and the Secretary of State represents the ever closer
partnership between Japan and the UK and our commitment to
peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The UK is
committed to working with Japan to support regional stability
and to meet shared global challenges, such as cyber security,
combatting global pandemics and ensuring the global systems
that promote the free flow of trade and knowledge are
strengthened and defended.
