[Title] Contributed Article by Prime Minister Kishida to the German Newspaper Handelsblatt on the Occasion of His Visit to Germany

I am truly delighted to have this opportunity to visit Germany, a major power in Europe and the G7 and an important strategic partner for Japan. This is the first bilateral visit to Germany by a Japanese prime minister in seven years, since 2017.

Amidst the current severe international situation, it has become increasingly clear that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are inseparable. I believe that the roles our two nations should shoulder as we work to uphold and reinforce the free and open international order based on the rule of law, as well as our bilateral cooperation towards that end, are becoming ever more significant.

Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow. In response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Japan, the sole Asian member of the G7, has been imposing strict sanctions against Russia while providing our utmost support to Ukraine. It is highly encouraging that Germany is intensifying its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region even as it works to reinforce both NATO's defense capabilities and its own.

Within our history of Japan-Germany bilateral exchanges that surpasses 160 years, never before has there been a time when the very foundation of the bonds linking our two nations, namely freedom, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law, has been as critically important as it is now. Through active mutual visits by leading figures, the bilateral relations between Japan and Germany, separated by some 9,000 km, have become closer and more solid than ever.

The economic field is another area where our two countries should respond to changes in the times and deepen our cooperation while addressing new threats. It has become increasingly apparent that selecting our resource suppliers and manufacturing bases based on conventional economic rationalism precipitates overdependence on certain countries and is fraught with risk over the long term with regard to economic security. Both Japan and Germany have positioned economic security within our national security strategies and work actively to reduce risks in this area, including by diversifying our economic ties.

Given that backdrop, I welcomed Chancellor Scholz and six of his Cabinet ministers to Tokyo in March 2023 for the first round of Japan-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations. Taking economic security as our central theme, we engaged in candid discussions aimed at fostering Japan-Germany cooperation. Building on the results of these consultations, I intend to further reinforce our partnership with Germany in this area.

Like-minded countries are working in collaboration and effectively pressing forward with these kinds of efforts while endeavoring to prevent loopholes. In light of this, it will be essential for industries in Japan and Germany, where we have both made advanced technological capabilities our foundation for growth, to collaborate as trustworthy partners without falling into confrontational rivalries. I welcome the trend now seen in some German companies to consider relocating their base functions in Asia to Japan.

In addition to our efforts to foster economic security, it will be essential to promote international cooperation in research and technology. Regarding this point, I am pleased to see companies and other entities shift towards partnering together with the aims of bringing together advanced technological capabilities and knowledge and creating synergies. This is now taking place in such areas as data sharing in our semiconductor and automotive industries in addition to hydrogen and clean energy, which will be key in mitigating climate change. Moreover, mutual efforts have been underway to promote startups from each of our countries advancing into the other, as well as efforts to invite them in. The Government of Japan will further support efforts to build up collaboration between private sector companies.

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will take place next year. The German Pavilion has taken up the theme of "Wa!" In Japan, in addition to meaning a circle and the connections between people, "wa" is onomatopoeia used when people surprise others as they pull a prank. I hope to make Expo 2025 an opportunity for Japan and Germany to surprise people the world over by setting forth a vision of our future society through the technological prowess and the creativity that our countries enjoy in abundance. I look forward to many people from Germany visiting Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.