NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right) and Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi address a media conference on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, April 4, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
TOKYO – NATO is planning to open a liaison office in Japan, its first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region, the Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday, citing Japanese and NATO officials.
The liaison office will enable discussions with NATO's security partners, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, the media outlet reported.
NATO has similar liaison offices in New York, Vienna, Ukraine and other places, according to Nikkei Asia
NATO and Japanese foreign ministry spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. Wednesday is a public holiday in Japan.
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The proposed one-person office is due to open next year in Tokyo but details such as whether Japan would provide the space or NATO would fund it were under negotiation, the news outlet said.
NATO has similar liaison offices in New York, Vienna, Ukraine and other places, it said.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg visited Japan in January and pledged with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen ties in the face off "historic" security challenges.
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Japan and NATO are seeking to deepen cooperation on cyber threats, disruptive technologies and disinformation, aiming to sign an individually tailored partnership programme before a NATO summit in July, Nikkei Asia reported.