Arab News Japan

TOKYO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs HAYASHI Yoshimasa signed an agreement on Friday for further collaboration on space projects.

The pact is known as the “Framework Agreement Between the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation in Space Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, For Peaceful Purposes.” 

“The future of space is collaborative,” Blinken said. “Through this agreement, our nations have strengthened our partnership in space and here on Earth. We will go farther and learn even more together.”

The signing was part of Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s first visit to Washington since taking office in 2021.

“I expect this agreement to vigorously promote Japan-U.S. space cooperation and expand areas of cooperation for the Japan-U.S. alliance, which is stronger than ever before,” Kishida said.

The agreement was signed during an event hosted by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.

“From low-Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond, Japan is one of NASA’s most significant international partners, and this latest framework agreement will allow us to further collaborate across our agencies’ broad portfolios in exploration, science, and research,” Nelson said.

Among the other witnesses in attendance were U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. TOMITA Koji, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President (JAXA) YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council Chirag Parikh. NASA astronaut Anne McClain and JAXA astronaut HOSHIDE Akihiko also participated in the event.

“This signing symbolizes not just the exploration of space, but also the partnership and the friendship between the United States and Japan,” said Emanuel. “This is a new beginning.”

The framework covers a broad range of joint activities between the countries, including space science, Earth science, space operations and exploration, aeronautical science and technology, space technology, space transportation, safety and mission assurance.

“I hope that Japan-U.S. space cooperation will further deepen based on this agreement, as it will benefit the future of humanity,” said Hayashi.