Arms export for Ukraine’s sake: Japan PM calls for speeding up internal talks

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed ruling parties to speed up discussions on easing the country's strict rules on military exports, as the government seeks to strengthen the domestic defense industry and expand support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian encroachment.

This was reported by Kyodo News, according to Ukrinform.

Kishida told working group lawmakers of his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito that his government would soon present its views on defense equipment and technology exports, and asked them to resume stalled talks on the issue.

The group issued a report on the matter earlier this month saying it agreed that Japan could export vehicles and vessels equipped with lethal weapons for non-combat purposes to countries with which it has security cooperation arrangements in place.

It said the working group had planned to resume discussions on the issue in the fall, but is now expected to move the schedule to an earlier date.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the government and the ruling bloc would work together to create the desired security environment for Japan and establish rules to support countries that have been invaded militarily, calling the export of defense equipment an important political tool.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, at the beginning of July it became known that the ruling coalition in Japan intended to propose that the country's parliament review the current restrictions on the export of defense equipment and to allow the transfer of weapons to countries that have been invaded by other states in violation of international law.

Photo: Kyodo