In its newly adopted ‘Indo-Pacific Guidelines’, the German Government emphasises the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, while Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy’ has long pointed to the region’s importance in its foreign policy. In addition, strategic competition for influence in the region has surfaced in recent years, with significant geopolitical and economic consequences.
In this context, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Japan Office, the Japanese-German Centre Berlin, the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Japan Institute of International Affairs jointly organised a conference on the dynamics of security policy in the Indo-Pacific and its consequences for the formation of a ‘rules-based international order’. and the role of Japan and Germany.

Schedule

17:00 – 17:10 JST/ 10:00 – 10:10 CEST Opening Remarks

• Dr. Julia MÜNCH, Secretary General (Japanese-German Center Berlin)
• Dr. Klaus VIETZE, Minister, Deputy Chief of Mission (Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan, Tokyo, Japan)
• H.E. Hidenao YANAGI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Embassy of Japan in Germany)

17:10 – 18:30 JST/ 10:10 – 11:30 CEST   Panel Discussion

• Chair: Barbara VÖLKL, Desk Officer for East Asia (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung)
• Henning SIMON, Head of Unit (Japan, Korean Peninsula, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific States, Federal Foreign Office of Germany)
• Yasushi NOGUCHI, Director General for International Affairs (Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense of Japan)
• Dr. Sarah KIRCHBERGER, Head of the Center for Asia-Pacific Strategy & Security (Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK)); Nonresident Senior Fellow (Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council); Vice President (German Maritime Institute (DMI))
• Dr. Yoko IWAMA, Professor (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)

18:30 – 18:40 JST/ 11:30 – 11:40 CEST   Closing Remarks

• Tomiko ICHIKAWA, Managing Director (The Japan Institute for International Affairs (JIIA))

18:40 JST/ 11:40 CEST Virtual Reception / Informal Exchange / Breakout Rooms on Zoom

19:15 JST/ 12:15 CEST  End

Register for the event here.