Space

Preparatory Meeting ahead of the Third Japan-France Dialogue on Space

November 30, 2020

On November 30, Japan held a preparatory meeting with France online ahead of the Third Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space.

In this meeting, Japan and France exchanged information on their space polices. They also exchanged views on a wide range of topics including security and civil space in preparation for the Third Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space planned to be held in the near future.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. FUNAKOSHI Takehiro, Ambassador in charge of International Security Policy and Mr. MATSUO Takehiko, Director-General, National Space Policy Secretariat, Cabinet Office for Japan, and Mr. Jean-Hugues SIMON-MICHEL, Director for International, Strategic and Technological Affairs, General Secretariat for Defense and National Security for France.
Participants included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Cabinet Office; National Security Secretariat; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ministry of Defense; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from the Japanese side, and General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN); the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE); the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Recovery (MEFR); the Ministry of Armed Forces (MINARM); the National Center for Space Studies (CNES); and the Secretary General for the Sea (SGMER) from the French side.
Both sides will coordinate and make necessary preparations for the Third Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space, taking COVID-19 into account, so that the dialogue will be held in France.

[Reference] Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space: Considering the fact that the strengthening the inter-governmental dialogue in space was referred in the Japan-France Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting ("2+2"), the First Japan-France Comprehensive Dialogue on Space was held in Paris in March 2016.
Most recently, the 2nd meeting was held in Tokyo in March 2017. Both discussed on information exchanges and the potential for cooperation in the aspects of security, civil space, and international rule making among others. In addition, the two countries also signed the “Comprehensive Space Partnership between the Competent Authorities of Japan and the French National Defence, Letter of Intent” and the “Technical Arrangement between the Competent Authorities of Japan and the Minister of Defence of the French Republic related to Space Situational Awareness Data Sharing.”