[Title] MEMORANDUM ON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MINISTER FOR SPACE POLICY AND THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS AND THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR UNIVERSITIES AND SCIENCE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Cabinet Secretariat (Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) of the United Kingdom, hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”,

HAVING regard to their wishes to cooperate on space activities for their mutual benefit;

CONSIDERING the common interest of Japan and the United Kingdom in the use of outer space for peaceful purposes;

RECOGNISING the advantages and benefits arising from international cooperation in the space field;

Have reached the following views:

1. The Participants will jointly explore, plan and promote cooperative programs between Japan and the United Kingdom in the use of outer space on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and reciprocity. The specific fields of cooperative programs that will be considered include, but are not limited to:

a) civil use earth observation;

b) Navigation Satellite Systems and applications;

c) industrial cooperation in the field of space technology;

d) development of new services or applications that make use of Space infrastructure; and

e) cooperation in the area of the international norm for the use of outer space.

2. The Participants will meet as necessary, alternately in the UK and in Japan, with the participation of officials from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, scientists and experts for the implementation of this Memorandum (the “Joint Committee”).

3. The Participants confirm that:

a) the Joint Committee will be co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretariat (Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UKSA;

b) the Joint Committee will discuss and decide the overall structure of the cooperation under this Memorandum, and establish and/or terminate Working Groups depending on the status of cooperation;

c) the Joint Committee will review the status of the bilateral cooperation and provide advice in the case that the need for coordination arises.

d) the Joint Committee will designate the Points of Contacts (“POC”) for each field of cooperation.

e) these POCs and Working Groups will:

A) implement the cooperative activities in accordance with the Joint Committee decisions;

B) report on the status of their activities to the Joint Committee;

C) pursue any other task that the Participants may decide to be relevant to this Memorandum.

4. Any activities that might be initiated through this Memorandum will:

a) comply with export controls in force from time to time; and

b) respect intellectual property rights

5. This Memorandum creates no legal or financial obligation.

6. This Memorandum will commence on its signature by the Participants. The Participants may modify this Memorandum upon their mutual written consent. The Participants may terminate this Memorandum at any time by giving a six month written notice to the other Participant.

7. The Participants recognize that after the adoption of legislation related to reform of space-related administration that is currently under consideration in the Diet of Japan, the status of the Cabinet Secretariat (Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy) of Japan in this document will be taken over by the new office to be established in the Cabinet Office based on the aforementioned legislation.

SIGNED in quadruplicate at Tokyo, on this 10th day of April, 2012 in English.

For
The Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters For Space Policy of Japan

For
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

For
The UK Space Agency

For
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom