Germany and Japan pledge to strengthen ties in defense, trade, and supply chain.

Germany and Japan have expressed their desire to expand their cooperation, particularly on economic issues, and strengthen supply chains hit by the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Both nations want to strengthen their influence in strategic sectors, including mineral resources, semiconductors, and batteries, and share best practices to address risks. They also pledged to work on new deployments by Germany's military in the region, as well as joint exercises, and a legal framework facilitating joint activities by both militaries.