“Ukraine War and Japan-EU Cooperation on Crisis Management”

On February 6, 2023, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) co-hosted the workshop "Ukraine War and Japan-EU Cooperation on Crisis Management " with the ESIWA(*) project of the European Union.

The workshop welcomed Dr. Arnold Kammel, secretary general of the Federal Ministry of Defence of Austria, as the keynote speaker, along with experts including Mr. Takehiro Kano (Director General, International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office of Japan), Dr. Jochen Rehrl (Austrian delegate to the European Peace Facility), and Dr. Yukako Tanaka-Sakabe (Assistant Professor, Hitotsubashi University). Mr. Ippeita Nishida, senior research fellow at SPF’s Security Studies Program, served as the moderator.

The workshop provided an opportunity to consider the importance of further Japan-Europe cooperation, including the role of Austria, in the heightened environment following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The workshop also showcased the new Japanese translation of the handbook on Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union.

SPF Executive Director Junko Chano and Dr. Philip Shetler-Jones of the ESIWA Project kicked off the forum with several remarks. Executive Director Chano reflected on how the Ukraine war has shifted the entire world, and expressed hope for continued dialogue between Japan and Europe working closer for international order, through opportunities such as this workshop. Dr. Shetler-Jones gave an overview of the EU ESIWA project, and the background for creating a Japanese-translated version of the current CSDP handbook.

In the panel discussion that followed, three experts gave their views in relation to Japan-Europe cooperation. First, Director General Kano reflected on the progress of Japan-Europe security cooperation over the past decade. Reflecting on the challenges in getting European partners to better understand the security situation in Asia, he mentioned the opportunities for further cooperation including in fields such as international peace cooperation, defense equipment cooperation, and cooperation in strategic communication.

Giving comments in his capacity as the Austrian delegate to the European Peace Facility, Dr. Jochen Rehrl guided the workshop participants through the CSDP’s history and its role in raising public awareness about the EU’s foreign and security policy, especially through the CSDP handbook, which is the EU’s flagship publication on this issue.

Assistant Professor Tanaka-Sakabe raised points on the EU as an evolving security actor and security provider, and an instrument for crisis management, including through CSDP missions and the shared interests between Japan and the EU in creating global public goods, as “like-minded partners.” Raising past examples of CSDP’s roles in crisis management especially in terms of “rules-based international order,” such as in the fields of coordinating maritime presence programs, she highlighted that establishing channels and regular information exchange as entry points of cooperation will be important for future Japan-Europe cooperation.

The final part of the workshop saw the experts participate in a Q&A session, which addressed a wide range of topics such as the problems of raising awareness in Japan and Europe on common foreign policy objectives, potential for further military and capacity building, and how to keep regular contact and information exchange on both sides, among others. Mr. Klemen Polak (First Counsellor, Political, Press and Information Section, EU Delegation in Japan), wrapped up the workshop, mentioning that the presentations highlighted the potential and difficulties of cooperation on both the Japanese and European sides, and reiterated the importance of continuing to hold sessions like the workshop, given the quickly changing situation in the current world.

*ESIWA (Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia) is the EU's project to promote security cooperation with Asian countries.