INTERVIEW: German Envoy Hopeful of Japan Joining Eurodrone Project

By Masaru Urano

Tokyo, June 14 (Jiji Press)--German Ambassador to Japan Petra Sigmund has expressed strong expectations for Japan's possible participation in a European military drone development program as part of their defense cooperation.

"We have reached out to Japanese partners to see whether Japan would be willing to join this important project, and we see great interest," Sigmund said in an interview with Jiji Press in Tokyo on Thursday. "We welcome Japan's increased interest in further deepening its involvement."

Such a move would upgrade Japan's involvement in the development of the so-called Eurodrone unmanned combat aircraft from its current position as an observer. In addition to Germany, the Eurodrone project includes such countries as Italy and Spain. India is also an observer.

The ambassador emphasized the need to "pool capacities and resources, possibly cut time and strengthen interoperability" of drone and other defense systems between Japan and Germany, adding that security in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific are "more and more interconnected."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]