Japan's top uniformed officer to attend 1st NATO military chiefs meeting (original) (raw)
Tokyo ramps up engagement with alliance along with Asia-Pacific partners
NATO headquarters in Brussels. Japan is the only country in the the Group of Seven advanced industrialized nations to not also be a member of the alliance. © Kyodo
TOKYO -- The highest-ranking uniformed officer in Japan's Self-Defense Forces will attend a NATO Military Chiefs of Defense meeting for the first time Thursday, according to the Ministry of Defense, as Tokyo seeks to reach a shared understanding with the alliance on the Asia-Pacific security environment.
Gen. Koji Yamazaki, chief of staff of the Joint Staff, departed from Japan for Brussels on Monday for the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense Session.