[1/3] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meet during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania July 12, 2023.
REUTERS/Yves HermanTOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday he welcomed that Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had agreed on a new partnership programme, ahead of his attendance at the NATO Vilnius summit.
At a joint announcement with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Kishida said he looked forward to furthering cooperation in new areas including cyber-security, and hoped to deepen cooperation with NATO as it increases its engagement with the Indo-Pacific.
The new partnership programme comes as NATO explores a deeper engagement with Asia while China increases its military presence.
China has lashed out at a communique issued by NATO during its two-day summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius claiming that China challenged the military alliance's interests, security, and values.
Persons:
Fumio Kishida, Jens Stoltenberg, Yves Herman TOKYO, Kishida, Stoltenberg, Sakura Murakami, Kentaro Sugiyama, Michael Perry
Organizations:
NATO, REUTERS, Japan's, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Thomson
Locations:
Vilnius, Lithuania, Japan, NATO Vilnius, Asia, China, North Korea, Europe, Lithuania's