Meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte

(Provisional Translation)

July 22, 2026
Ministry of Defense Japan

In Japanese

On July 22, Minister Koizumi, who is visiting Belgium, held a meeting with NATO Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Mark RUTTE.

  1. At the outset of the meeting, Minister Koizumi expressed his pleasure at meeting Secretary General Rutte again for the first time in approximately two weeks since NATO Summit in Ankara. He also noted that he had engaged in exchanges of views with many counterparts in Ankara and had spent a highly productive and meaningful time there. Secretary General Rutte likewise welcomed the opportunity to meet again within such a short period and expressed his appreciation for Minister Koizumi’s participation in the Ankara Summit related events.
  2. The two exchanged views on regional situations and reaffirmed that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and that of the Indo-Pacific is inseparable. They also confirmed the significance of strengthening cooperation between Japan and NATO in addressing shared security challenges.
  3. The two also discussed the future direction of Japan–NATO cooperation and shared the view that, in the face of an increasingly severe security environment, such cooperation should be made more practical and effective. From this perspective, they concurred on further advancing cooperation in the fields of defense equipment and defense industry.

Meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte.pdf