By KAZUKI UECHI/ Staff Writer
July 12, 2023 at 13:38 JST
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The Foreign Ministry has launched a new office to promote its official security assistance (OSA) program for security cooperation with "like-minded" countries that share diplomatic and other objectives.
The ministry announced on July 11 the establishment of the security cooperation office with approximately 10 staff members to promote OSA, a new framework for providing equipment and other items to the militaries of these friendly nations.
"We will formulate meaningful projects and steadily implement them," Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference the same day. "We will also conduct appropriate follow-up, including monitoring."
The OSA enables assistance to militaries that were previously not covered by the government's official development assistance (ODA) program, and is intended to improve their defense and deterrence capabilities.
Approximately 2 billion yen ($14.3 million) has been allocated in the initial budget for fiscal 2023, with the first step being the provision of defense equipment free of charge to four countries, including the Philippines and Malaysia.
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