日本與北約簽署《個別夥伴合作計畫》○共同社（2014.05.07）

【Comment】

北約，不只是北大西洋：除阿富汗之外，還有日本、韓國、澳大利亞、紐西蘭、蒙古等東亞國，個別與北約產生政治對話與實務合作的等軍事連結。

IPCP 是 ROADMAP，表示有具體做法不是打高空。

日本與北約簽署《個別夥伴合作計畫》○共同社（2014.05.07） http://tchina.kyodonews.jp/news/2014/05/74404.html

　　【共同社布魯塞爾5月7日電】日本首相安倍晉三6日下午在比利時布魯塞爾的北大西洋公約組織（NATO）總部與北約秘書長拉斯穆森舉行會談。雙方確認將在打擊海盜等海上安全、電腦防衛、人道主義援助等廣泛領域加強合作。會談後，雙方簽署了匯總日本和北約重點合作領域的《個別夥伴合作計畫》（IPCP）。

　　在會談後的聯合記者會上，安倍強調：“亞洲和歐洲的安全密切相關。擁有法治等共同價值觀的日本和北約的合作非常重要。”拉斯穆森在考慮到烏克蘭緊張局勢的基礎上表示：“歐洲正迎來冷戰後最大的危機。與志向相同的日本對話很重要。”

　　安倍在會談中就日中關係表示“對話大門一直敞開著”，介紹了此前日中友好議員聯盟訪華一事。拉斯穆森回應稱“通過對話相互接近非常重要”。雙方還共同對朝鮮核及導彈開發表示了擔憂。

　　日本和北約根據合作計畫，將由在非洲東部索馬里海域亞丁灣參與打擊海盜行動的自衛隊與北約軍隊共用情報，開展聯合演習。此外，雙方還將促進自衛官在北約國防大學研修等防衛交流。

　　雙方將促進電腦防衛責任部門之間的交流。雙方還將就人道主義援助和災害救援分享東日本大地震的經驗，日本將參加北約開展的演習和討論會。

　　從發揮女性實力角度出發，日本政府將派遣女職員赴北約總部。有關女性的研討會在日本召開時，北約也將提供協助。

　　除日本外，北約已同韓國、澳大利亞、新西蘭、蒙古簽署了IPCP。（完）

NATO and Japan sign cooperation accord to deepen partnership, discuss Ukraine crisis ○NATO （2014.05.07）http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_109508.htm

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday (06 May 2014) signed a roadmap detailing areas where the Alliance and Japan will work to widen and deepen their longstanding partnership.  “Today we signed an agreement that will take this relationship a step further,” said the Secretary General.  “It will bring our practical cooperation to a new level including in the areas of counter piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.”

The Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP), signed during a visit by Prime Minister Abe to NATO headquarters, will strengthen political dialogue and practical cooperation between the Alliance and Japan. The Prime Minister also addressed a special session of the North Atlantic Council.  “Our discussions show how highly we value our relationship and how much potential there is to do more,” said Mr. Fogh Rasmussen.

Tuesday’s signing of the IPCP builds on a joint political declaration the Secretary General and the Prime Minister signed in Tokyo in April 2013, which set the groundwork for strengthening NATO-Japan cooperation.  Japan is the Alliance’s oldest partner outside of the Euro-Atlantic area.  “Our partnership is based up on shared values, a shared commitment to international peace and security and to the principles of the United Nations and international law,” said Mr. Fogh Rasmussen.

The Secretary General said that there was no doubt that the security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions were interlinked, pointing to the crisis in Ukraine.  “In this time of crisis our dialogue with like-minded partners like Japan is key to address global security challenges,” he said.

Opening statement to the North Atlantic Council ○ NATO（2014.05.06）

by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to NATO

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/opinions_109505.htm?selectedLocale=en

Good afternoon.

Prime Minister, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you here today.  This is the second time you will address this Council, after your landmark visit in 2007.  This demonstrates the role you have played in the deepening of the NATO-Japan partnership.  Your visit is all the more timely given the background of your new National Security Strategy, which emphasizes your vision for Japan’s proactive contribution to peace.

Prime Minister, our partnership is grounded in our shared values.  The 28 NATO Allies represented around this table and Japan are like-minded.  We are democratic countries founded on the same view of upholding individual liberty and human rights.  We share the belief that the international order should rest on multilateral cooperation, the primacy of international law, and the importance of human rights.  We share security challenges, as well as a determination to work together.  That is why I called Japan and NATO "natural partners" when I enjoyed your hospitality in Tokyo last year.

During that visit, we concluded a Joint Political Declaration which reaffirmed the common values that bring together Japan and NATO.  It included welcome steps to make our bond more visible and it spelled out our determination to work more closely together.  On that basis, a few minutes ago we signed an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme, which will serve as a practical roadmap for our joint activities.

Je tiens à exprimer notre gratitude pour les remarquables contributions apportées par le Japon aux initiatives de l'OTAN.  Votre pays a joué un rôle essentiel en Afghanistan à l'appui d'autres efforts internationaux, notamment ceux de la FIAS et de l'OTAN.  Je soulignerai à cet égard avec une grande reconnaissance les milliards de dollars que le Japon a mis à disposition pour soutenir de petits projets locaux au travers des équipes de reconstruction provinciales, ainsi que le soutien financier qu'il continue de fournir aux forces de sécurité afghanes.

Monsieur le Premier ministre, nous nous réjouissons d'entendre votre point de vue sur la relation bilatérale entre l'OTAN et le Japon, ainsi que sur l'environnement stratégique de votre pays.

Prime Minister, the floor is yours.

Remarks

by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the joint press point with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe○NATO（2014.05.06）http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/opinions_109507.htm?selectedLocale=en

Good afternoon.

Prime Minister, it is a great pleasure to welcome you again at NATO Headquarters.  Today is an important day for our partnership.

We just had a productive meeting with the members of the North Atlantic Council.  Our discussions show how highly we value our relationship and how much potential there is to do more.

Today we signed an agreement that will take this relationship a step further.  It will bring our practical cooperation to a new level, including in the areas of counter piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.

Prime Minister, your personal commitment to our partnership is steadfast and goes back a long way.

Japan is our oldest partner from outside the Euro-Atlantic area.

For the last decade, Japan’s contribution in Afghanistan has been vital.  We are grateful for your outstanding support to our efforts.  We also appreciate Japan’s intention to continue to support development and security in Afghanistan, beyond 2014.

Japan’s contributions to the NATO Trust Funds, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, are also tremendously appreciated. 

Our partnership is based upon shared values, a shared commitment to international peace and security, and to the principles of the United Nations and international law.

Today we are facing the gravest crisis to European security since the end of the Cold War.  But this is not just about Ukraine.  This crisis has serious implications for the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area as a whole.

And there is no doubt that the security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions cannot be treated separately.

In this time of crisis, our dialogue with like-minded partners like Japan is key to address global security challenges.

Prime Minister, I thank you for your determination to contribute to international efforts towards global peace and stability.  And I look forward to deepening our political dialogue and our practical cooperation. 

Japan, worried about China, strengthens ties with NATO○Reuters（2014.04.22）http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/06/us-nato-japan-idUSBREA450RT20140506

(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, concerned about China's rising military spending and disputes with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea, signed a new partnership agreement with NATO on Tuesday.

The accord, signed by Abe and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen during Abe's visit to NATO's Brussels headquarters, will deepen Japan's cooperation with the Western military alliance in areas such as counter-piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.

After addressing ambassadors from the 28 NATO nations, Abe drew a parallel between the situation in Ukraine, where Russia has occupied and annexed Crimea, and Asia, in an apparent allusion to a standoff between Beijing and Tokyo over tiny uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

"We will not tolerate any change of status quo through intimidation or coercion or force.  This is not only applicable to Europe or Ukraine.  This is applicable to East Asia and it is applicable to the whole world," Abe said at a joint press conference with Rasmussen.

Abe urged Russia and Ukraine's political parties to recognize the legitimacy of Ukraine's May 25 presidential election, which the West sees as crucial to help stabilize Ukraine after weeks of worsening violence that Western officials accuse Russia of helping to stir up.

"At the same time, in order to resolve this problem, we have to have dialogue with Russia," Abe said.

NATO has said it will not get involved militarily in Ukraine but it has reinforced security in eastern European members of NATO that are worried by Russia's renewed assertiveness.

In addition to steps it has already taken to deploy more planes, ships and troops to eastern Europe, NATO would "not hesitate to take further steps if necessary to ensure effective defense and protection of our allies," Rasmussen said.

BOLSTERING SUPPORT

Abe, who made his first visit to NATO headquarters in 2007, has long been interested in strengthening Japan's relations with the U.S.-dominated Western alliance.

Analysts say Japan's aim is to increase diplomatic support over its security concerns, particularly China's military buildup and North Korean missile launches and nuclear tests.

"Japan does not actually expect NATO to play a direct military role in the Asia-Pacific region, but it does expect allies to share perceptions and approaches," Michito Tsuruoka, a senior research fellow at Japan's National Institute for Defense Studies, wrote in a paper for the NATO Defense College last year.

Tension between Japan and China spiked last year when Beijing announced an air-defense zone over a wide area including the disputed islands.

Abe told NATO ambassadors he believed Japan should play a more active role in defending the freedom of overflight and navigation.

With its operations in Afghanistan coming to an end and Russia flexing its muscle, NATO is now expected to refocus on its core mission of defending its territory, a trend that may not be welcome to Japan and other partners outside NATO's area.

Abe's priority has been to revive a long-sluggish economy, but he has also pledged to strengthen Japan's military and boost its security profile to meet what he says is a threat from China's rapid military buildup.

Abe also aims to lift Japan's ban on collective self-defense, which means helping an ally under attack, to bolster security ties with the United States.

Rasmussen said NATO welcomed Japan's steps "to become a pro-active contributor to peace".

"We share interests in countering piracy, countering terrorism. We share interests in disarmament," he said.