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Japan has stepped up defence talks after travelling for consecutive meetings in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland this month.
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Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense, Onoda Kimi held meetings with defence personnel in each country between 30 April and 5 May.
During the tour, Vice-Minister Onoda visited the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and held talks with Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, General Onno Eichelsheim, before travelling to the National Defence Equipment Agency and Organisation for Applied Science on 1 May.
Both officials reportedly discussed the increasing interest in the Indo-Pacific by European countries, future defence equipment, promotion of defence and technology cooperation and exchanges, and an agreement to work closely together.
Japanese Vice-Minister Onoda then met with Peter Sandwall, Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for Defence, at the Ministry of Defence on 2 May. The pair reportedly discussed regional affairs, defence cooperation and exchanges before travelling to the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency to discuss countermeasures against false information.
The tour continued as Vice-Minister Onoda met with Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Kaikkonen, and Permanent Secretary Esa Pulkkinen at the Ministry of Defence to discuss defence cooperation and exchanges, and support for the country’s official NATO membership.
The Japanese official also toured a Hybrid Threat Countermeasure Center and met with staff from defence manufacturer Patria. Japan’s Ministry of Defense had previously announced that the Patria AMVXP 8x8 armoured personnel carrier was selected for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force as their next wheeled APC 8x8 vehicle under the WAPC program.
