[Provisional translation]
On January 31, 2026, following their meeting, the two leaders held a joint press occasion. The Prime Minister then hosted a working dinner.
The Prime Minister made the following remarks at the joint press occasion:
“On behalf of the Government and the people of Japan, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the occasion of his visit to Japan. In our meeting earlier today, Keir and I were able to engage in frank and constructive exchanges of views toward further deepening Japan–UK relations.
Japan and the United Kingdom are ‘Enhanced Global Strategic Partners.’ As important like-minded partners, we have steadily and concretely advanced cooperation across a wide range of areas. In the field of security, this includes cooperation on the Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, as well as last year’s port call in Japan by the UK Carrier Strike Group. In the economic sphere, we have strengthened cooperation through frameworks such as the CPTPP and collaboration on economic security through the ‘Economic 2+2.’ Building on this progress, we agreed to elevate Japan–UK cooperation to new heights and to further deepen our partnership for the era ahead.
Prime Minister Starmer also kindly invited me to Chequers, the official country residence of the Prime Minister of the UK. I look forward to visiting the United Kingdom at an appropriate time, circumstances permitting, to further greatly advance our bilateral cooperation. Taking this opportunity of Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to Japan, I would like to highlight several areas in which we exchanged views and achieved concrete outcomes.
First, in the field of security, we agreed to advance Japan–UK cooperation in cybersecurity in a strategic manner. With regard to the next-generation fighter aircraft, we will accelerate progress in joint development. We also agreed to hold the Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting—the so-called ‘2+2’—within this year. As the United Kingdom is an extremely important partner for Japan in security matters, we intend to continuously upgrade our cooperation in this field.
Next, turning to the economy and economic security, under the Industrial Strategy Partnership, we will expand industrial cooperation in areas such as wind power, quantum technologies, and fusion energy, for which memoranda of cooperation have been prepared. In the context of the Economic Security Partnership, amid growing international concern over export controls on critical minerals, we agreed that it is urgently necessary for like-minded countries to work together to strengthen supply chain resilience, including for critical minerals. Japan and the United Kingdom will vigorously advance what needs to be done now.
This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the Japan–UK Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Over these five years, trade and investment between our two countries have increased by approximately 1.5 times, and we believe that this agreement has made a significant contribution.
Science and technology represent another promising area of cooperation. In addition to convening the Japan–UK Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation for the first time in three years, we agreed today to launch a new space dialogue, building on the expertise both countries possess in the space domain.
We will also strengthen cooperation in quantum technologies, offshore wind, nuclear energy, and other energy and decarbonization fields, while promoting joint research on Beyond 5G and 6G technologies under the Japan-UK Digital Partnership.
Later this evening, over dinner, I look forward to further discussions with Prime Minister Starmer, who has just made a visit to China, on cooperation toward the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, as well as on developments in the Middle East and the situation in Ukraine.
In the complex and challenging international environment of the 21st century, I look forward to working ever more closely with Keir to build a new era in Japan–UK relations. Thank you, Keir.”
AloJapan.com