Indo-Pacific security prompts Japanese visit to Netherlands
News item | 20-01-2025 | 16:42





General Yoshihide Yoshida was a guest in The Hague on Friday of Chief of Armed Forces General Onno Eichelsheim and Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans. Japan's highest military officer and Brekelmans discussed the threats and geopolitical developments in the Indo-Pacific .
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Eichelsheim already visited General Yoshida in Japan in April 2023. Both generals concluded that the situation in the Indo-Pacific requires more attention and cooperation. This is particularly to promote and protect the international legal order in the region. A safe Indo-Pacific is of great importance.

Security developments in Europe are directly related to those in the Indo-Pacific . A recent example of this is the sending of North Korean soldiers to the front in Ukraine by Russia. In addition, the Indo-Pacific is an important economic growth region in the world. How are the Dutch and Japanese armed forces preparing for having to protect the international legal order?

Yoshida did not limit his visit to Defence to The Hague. The delegation also visited the Military Rehabilitation Centre (MRC) in Doorn and the special forces . He delved into the joint management of these units. Japan, like the Netherlands, is setting up a Joint Operation Centre
Commander of the Armed Forces General Onno Eichelsheim and General Yoshihide Yoshida.

425 years of relations

This year we celebrate 425 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Netherlands. Yoshida's visit was therefore an important starting point for the further consolidation of the military cooperation between the two countries.

Japan has approximately 125 million inhabitants and a defense organization of 250,000 soldiers and 56,000 reservists.

In the recent reform of the Japan Self-Defense Force, the country is looking for more international connections and support. This is because it recognizes threats from neighboring countries such as China, Russia and North Korea.

The Netherlands is already regularly in the Indo-Pacific from a military perspective . This fits in with the growing attention of the Netherlands and its allies for a safe Indo-Pacific . Last year, Zr.Ms. Tromp was in the region. The Netherlands wants to send a naval vessel to the Indo-Pacific every 2 years to demonstrate its military presence. In addition, Defense has been participating in the United Nations Command (UNC) in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) since this month .