Under the aegis of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European External Action Service, a ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is being convened in Paris on Feb. 22.

It will gather an equal number of foreign ministers from EU member states and Indo-Pacific countries as well as representatives of EU institutions and Indo-Pacific regional organizations.

It will aim at the concrete implementation of the Strategy for Cooperation with the Indo-Pacific, which was published by the European Union on Sept. 16, 2021, and eventually endorsed in October by the EU heads of state and government.

This event is a high priority for the French presidency of the council. At the national level, France is indeed an Indo-Pacific nation, due to its overseas territories.

In 2018, it was the first EU member state to define a national strategy dedicated to the Indo-Pacific. This strategy is based on four pillars: security and defense; the promotion of multilateralism and the rule of law; the promotion of global public goods (climate, biodiversity, oceans, health); and economic diplomacy.

Other member states have also adopted their own national strategies, the implementation of which has contributed to an increased presence of European countries in the Indo-Pacific for several years. The recent French, German and Dutch military deployments in Japan are concrete illustrations of this endeavor.

Today, the EU as a whole intends to strengthen its commitment and partnerships in the region.

To this end, the European strategy proposes a model of cooperation and coordination based on a global approach, founded on multilateralism and the respect of international law, which aims to tackle our common challenges, from the green transition to ocean governance, from the digital agenda to security and defense issues.

The Indo-Pacific region is indeed of growing strategic importance and characterized by new dynamics: the political and economic development of the bordering countries, technological challenges, increased competition between regional actors and tensions around territories and in the maritime space. ...

Other potential or real threats are extending their effects in the region: North Korea's nuclear and ballistic programs, the terrorist threat, piracy, tensions in the Persian Gulf or in the Indian peninsula.

These developments directly affect the security, interests and prosperity of the countries in the Indo-Pacific region. They also have important repercussions beyond the region, notably for the EU and its member states.

It is precisely to these challenges that the implementation of the European strategy intends to respond, in cooperation with the countries of the region.

During the forum on Feb. 22, discussions will focus in particular on security and defense issues, digital issues and connectivity, within the framework of the Global Gateway infrastructure development initiative presented by the European Commission, and global issues such as world health, the protection of the oceans, biodiversity and our climate objectives as jointly defined in the Paris Agreement.

On all these issues, the forum offers an opportunity to agree on concrete projects and prospects for their implementation, in an open and inclusive approach, based on international values, standards and quality.

In this process, Japan is, of course, a priority partner with whom we wish to work.

In addition to the close ties that exist under the partnership agreements with the European Union, Japan has been among the first states to promote, since 2016, its vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, articulated around the promotion of the rule of law, freedom of navigation and free trade, the goal of achieving economic prosperity, and a commitment to peace and stability.

Our governments and peoples are resolutely looking to the future and share many ambitious goals.

That is why we call today for continued and strengthened cooperation between the EU and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region, based on the deepening of the strategic ties between us.

Let us turn the challenges we face into opportunities to build together more connected, secure, green and prosperous societies in our countries and in the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.

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This message is co-authored by Patricia Flor, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan, and Philippe Setton, Ambassador of France to Japan, on the occasion of the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.