PARIS: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday agreed to begin talks to ink a proposed reciprocal access agreement to facilitate mutual visits by Japanese Self-Defense Forces and French military members.

Kishida and Macron vowed to expand cooperation in the security field in response to China’s growing military presence.

An RAA is designed to simplify procedures for bringing in weapons and ammunition when entering partner countries. Japan has RAAs with Australia and Britain and is in talks to conclude one with the Philippines.

Japan and France already have an accord on the protection of classified military information, a defense equipment and technology transfer pact and an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA.

France is a Pacific nation that includes French Polynesia in the South Pacific. In recent years, France has been enhancing security cooperation with Japan. The French army conducted its first joint exercise with the Ground SDF in the French territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific last year.

Also in their talks, Kishida and Macron affirmed a policy of boosting cooperation in sharing information about key mineral resources to build stronger supply chains for strategic materials.

The two leaders are believed to have agreed to promote joint projects involving development cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region through official development assistance programs. They also discussed a wide range of issues including the creation of rules on generative artificial intelligence.

JIJI Press