The War in Ukraine and Japanese Diplomacy

On 21 March 2024, the Japan Chair had the pleasure of welcoming Col. Shintaro Otsuka, the Counsellor of the Japanese National Security Secretariat. The discussion focused on the impact of the war in Ukraine on Japan’s foreign and security policy, as well as Tokyo’s overall evolving strategic outlook. 

The “Japan Chair Cluster” meetings bring together Brussels-based experts and policy practitioners from the EU institutions, NATO, as well as relevant Embassy representatives interested in Japan and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The Cluster meets on an ad hoc basis when experts, academics and officials from the region visit Brussels, presenting their research and sharing their insights in a closed-door, informal fashion. The aim of the meetings is to inform the European policy community, raise awareness and steer the debate for regional security challenges, as well as to facilitate inter-personal exchanges to support Europe’s engagement with Japan and the Indo-Pacific.