Japan, UK to sign reciprocal access agreement for military officers -Yomiuri

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba speaks to media as he announces his resignation at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official residence in Tokyo, Japan December 27, 2022, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will sign a reciprocal access agreement for military officers with British counterpart Rishi Sunak next week, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday.

The agreement, which relaxes immigration controls for military officers, aims to strengthen security ties between the two countries to counter rising threats from Russia and China, Yomiuri said, citing multiple unnamed government sources.

Japan, Britain and Italy last month announced a joint project to develop next-generation jet fighters, marking Japan's first major industrial defence collaboration beyond the United States since World War Two.

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers his first major domestic speech of 2023 at Plexal, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in east London, Britain January 4, 2023. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS

Kishida is set to visit the United Kingdom on Jan. 10-11, during a tour to Group of Seven countries that includes France, Italy, Canada and the United States.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Tom Hogue)