NATO Tokyo office is 'still on the table,' says Stoltenberg

Alliance and Japan agree on 16 cooperation areas, including rescue operations

20230712 Kishida Stoltenberg NATO-SUMMIT

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have agreed on 16 areas of cooperation including cyber defense, strategic communications and arms control. © Reuters

KEN MORIYASU, Nikkei Asia diplomatic correspondent

July 12, 2023 21:18 JST

Updated on July 13, 2023 03:16 JST

VILNIUS, Lithuania -- NATO's plan to open a liaison office in Tokyo is "still on the table," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday, even as the alliance's annual summit closed without a decision on the Indo-Pacific hub.

At a press conference in Vilnius, Stoltenberg was asked whether the Tokyo office discussions were over, given that the proposal was not included in the summit's joint communique.