Canada and Japan have agreed to work in tandem to guard against security threats ranging from terrorism and international crime to cyber spying.

 

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan co-signed the agreement — dubbed the Joint Declaration on Political, Peace and Security Cooperation. Last June, at the G8 leaders meeting in Huntsville, Ont., the two agreed on the necessity for Canada and Japan to strengthen their ties in peace and security.

 

“Canada and Japan are close partners in promoting security and development at home and around the globe, including in Afghanistan and Haiti,” Harper said in a written statement . “The plan Prime Minister Kan and I signed today will improve our joint response to mutual security threats and further ensure the safety of our citizens, at home and abroad.”

 

The new agreement builds on previous bilateral accords in 1999 and 2005 that opened the door for co-operation. It comes after a year of negotiations and means that senior foreign affairs and defence officials from both countries will now be holding regular meetings to share information and develop policy. They will focus their attention on a variety of priorities, including:

 

• Global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation

• Peacekeeping

• Counter-terrorism and transnational organized crime

• Global energy security

• Natural disaster responses and humanitarian assistance

• Pandemic preparedness and responses

• Security implications of climate change

• Cybersecurity