Japan, EU Announce Sweeping New Security Partnership

Japan and the European Union are launching a new security partnership to lay the groundwork for closer cooperation on a wide-ranging suite of defense and security issues. The partnership is the first of its kind between the EU and an Indo-Pacific nation, according to Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who announced the deal on Nov. 1. “Today we open a new chapter in our relations. A new chapter that is not about trade or economics, this is about security and defense,” Borell told reporters in Tokyo. “This political framework deepens our ability to tackle emerging threats together, and work towards a future where our values of democracy, human rights, and the rules-based international order will continue to guide the way.”...