Japan, Sweden Agree to Elevate Ties to Strategic Partnership; Military Cooperation Between N. Korea, Russia Condemned in Joint Statement

The Yomiuri Shimbun

4:00 JST, December 6, 2024

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership on Wednesday in Tokyo.

As both Japan and Sweden face the threat of Russia, the nations aim to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including security.

Kristersson’s trip was the first visit by a Swedish prime minister since 2008. Sweden reversed its policy of neutrality and nonalignment after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier this year.

“I would like to steadily continue cooperation in the fields of security and economy,” Ishiba said at the beginning of the meeting, which was held at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Kristersson said that Sweden considers Japan to be an extremely important likeminded country.

In their joint statement, the two sides confirmed their support for Ukraine as well as for continued sanctions against Russia. Japan and Sweden also condemned North Korea’s nuclear missile program and its military cooperation with Russia. They recognized that Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are inseparable and emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with NATO and its partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan.

Prior to the meeting, Japanese and Swedish defense and economic ministers held separate meetings in Tokyo and agreed to promote cooperation in defense equipment and technology, high-level exchanges and cooperation in developing technology for nuclear power generation.