List of cooperation projects in the Indo-Pacificbetween Japan and France
Through discussions in the 1st Japan-France Comprehensive Maritime Dialogue in
September 2019, in the 1st Japan-France Working Group on the Indo-Pacific in October
2020 and in other meetings, Japan and France confirmed progress in the following
concrete projects:
I – Defense and Security
Bilateral/trilateral/multilateral exercises: coordination and interaction between
the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the French Armed Forces has been
reinforced especially through the following military exercises.
Bilateral exercises Japan – France- August 2019 : bilateral training between JMSDF Special forces and French
Special forces at Djibouti- January 2020 : bilateral training between JMSDF destroyer JS Harusame andFrench Air Force Helicopter Puma in Gulf of Aden
- February 2020 : bilateral exercise between JMSDF destroyer JS Harusame andFrench Navy destroyer FS Forbin in Gulf of Aden
- March 2020 : bilateral exercise between JMSDF destroyer JS Harusame andFrench Navy amphibious helicopter carrier FS Mistral in Gulf of Aden
Trilateral exercises Japan – France – the United States:-December 2020: trilateral exercise conducted among JMSDF destroyer JSHyuga, French Navy nuclear attack submarine FS Émeraude and U.S. Navydestroyer USS John S. McCain;-February 2021: trilateral exercise conducted among JMSDF replenishment
ship JS Hamana, French Navy frigate FS Prairial and U.S. Navy destroyer
Curtis Wilbur;-May 2021: trilateral exercise conducted among JMSDF destroyer JS Setogiri,
French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and destroyer FS ChevalierPaul and U.S. Navy destroyer Mahan;

Multilateral exercises:- September 2019: multilateral exercise organized by Royal Australian Navy andconducted by JMSDF training ship JS Kashima, destroyer JS Inazuma, French
Navy frigate FS Vendemiaire, RAN frigates HMAS Stuart and HMAS Hobart-

September and October 2019: multilateral exercise “EQUATEUR 19”
organized by French Forces in New Caledonia with JSDF participation-August 2020: multilateral exercise “RIMPAC 20” organized by U.S.-PacificFleet with participation of JMSDF destroyer JS Ise, destroyer JS Ashigara andFrench Navy support ship FS Bougainville-March 2021: multilateral exercise “GASWEX 21” conducted among JMSDF
destroyer JS Ariake, French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle,
destroyers FS Provence and FS Chevalier Paul and replenishment ship FS Var,U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal and amphibious assault ship
USS Makin Island and Belgium Navy frigate BNS Leopold I;-April 2021: multilateral exercise “Laperouse 21” organized by French Navy
with JMSDF destroyer JS Akebono, French Navy amphibious helicopter carrier
FS Tonnerre and frigate FS Surcouf, U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock
USS Somerset, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac and replenishment
ship Sirius and Indian Navy frigate INS Satpura, corvette INS Kiltan and P-8I;-May 2021: multilateral exercise among Japan, France, U.S., and Australia(ARC21).
-In the naval part, JMSDF destroyer JS Ise, JS Ashigara, JS Asahi and JS
Kongo, landing ship JS Osumi, missle boat JS Otaka and JS Shirataka, Patrolaircraft and submarine, French Navy amphibious helicopter carrier FS Tonnerre
and frigate FS Surcouf, U.S. Navy USS amphibious transport dock ship New
Orleans, P-8A and MV-22 and Royal Australian Navy frigate HMASParramatta.
-In the Ground part, JGSDF, French Army and U.S. Marine Corps conductedamphibious exercise in Kyushu.

Information-sharing: the Japan Coast Guard and Secretariat General for the Sea ofthe French Republic finalized the Roadmap for Deeper Cooperation to promote theinformation-sharing in the field of maritime security including Maritime Domain
Awareness (MDA) (2021).

STS Surveillance Operations: in 2019 and in 2021, the French Armed Forcesengaged in monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities,including “ship-to-ship” transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels in waters
surrounding Japan including the South China Sea.
Cooperation on disaster relief. In August 2020, French and Japanese relevant
authorities cooperated in responding to the oil leakage caused by the wreckage ofMV Wakashio off Mauritius island.

Cooperation in maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the Middle East.
JMSDF and French Navy have continuously cooperated together to ensure maritime
security in the Gulf of Aden and the Middle East, throughJMSDF’s contribution tocounter-piracy operations under CTG 151 and through French Navy’s contributionto maritime security under CTG 150 and Atalanta. JSDF deployed forces could
continuously rely on the medical support of French Forces stationed in Djibouti.

Cooperation in medical evacuation at sea. In November 2020, JMSDF destroyer
JS Ariake and French Navy destroyer FS Jean Bart worked together to evacuate asailor embarked on MV Lourdes.

II - Climate Change, Environment and Biodiversity

Deep-Sea Observation in the South Pacific (JAMSTEC/Ifremer): following thediscussion in the workshop held in September 2019 in Nouméa in the margins of the1st session of the global maritime dialogue between France and Japan, Japan Agency
for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and French ResearchInstitute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) have made progress on the project of a
Deep-Sea observation laboratory in New Caledonia's Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ). This project aims to contribute to conservation of marine biodiversity andecosystem as well as geohazards in the area.

Ocean development: ocean development cooperation between Japan and France
has been enhanced especially through Japanese-French Ocean Development
Sub-Committee, co-chaired biennially by Ifremer and the Japanese Ministry ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) . Through theSub-Committee, over 30 research cooperation projects have been carried out in thefields of ocean research, marine technology and research infrastructure, marine
resources, marine biotechnology, deep sea ecosystem, coastal ecosystems andsocio-ecosystem management including the above-mentioned Deep-Sea
Observation in the South Pacific. Ifremer will organize the next meeting in order toupdate these projects.
Fisheries cooperation: cooperations have been undertaken jointly by Ifremer andthe Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA), including in the fieldsof fisheries-related issues and shells’ diseases. In 2015, a cooperation agreement wassigned between Ifremer and the FRA, notably addressing coastal ecosystems in
relation to maritime cultures in a comprehensive perspective of management.
Projects have been carried through both in French (Thau lagoon) and Japanese
territories (Hiroshima Bay). The cooperation agreement, signed between Ifremer
and the FRA in 2015, expired in April 2020 but it is intended to be renewed by theboth organizations in order to address coastal ecosystem issues.

Researchers’ mobility: JAMSTEC and Ifremer facilitated exchange of French andJapanese researchers in order to strengthen marine research and related cooperation.
Since October 2020, former Ifremer researcher has been employed by JAMSTEC
through its early-career professional employment scheme in the field of theadvanced science technology research.

Natural disasters risk management: JICA and AFD have been co-financing
Indonesia’s « Disaster Resilience Enhancement And Management Program”(DREAM) through a policy loan which seeks to enhance the country’s capacity todeal with natural disasters. JICA was the sole donor for the 1st tranche (2020), while
AFD joined JICA for the 2nd tranche for 2021. A 3rd tranche is under preparation byboth JICA and AFD. The two agencies have been also discussing a potential
coordination in Fiji (Nadi), under a flood alleviation project in collaboration with
the Asian Development Bank and other partners based on the Master Plan for Flood
Risk Management developed by JICA.

Workshops: in March 2021, Japanese and French Embassies in Thailand
co-organized a series of side events on climate change and environment in the“Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 2021”, including on airpollution, carbon neutrality, marine plastic pollution, in line with actions taken by

the both Embassies since December 2019 onwards to implement the bilateral
cooperation roadmap in Thailand. In November 2019, the French Embassy inMadagascar, in collaboration with the Institut Français de Madagascar (IFM),
French NGOs, JICA and AFD, organized a symposium on waste management.
PCCC (Pacific Climate Change Center): JICA and AFD have been seeking
possible cooperation including organization of workshops at the PCCC as well as
potential information sharing by AFD/Meteo France to the PCCC regarding climate
data produced for the Pacific Region.

III - InfrastructureWater management: after completion of AFD funding to the French NGO "TeukSaat 1001" which aims at enhancing access to safe and inexpensive water as well as
improving water management and sanitary conditions in Cambodia, the Embassy ofJapan provided Grant Assistance to this NGO for a water supply project in January2020.

French-Japanese business cooperation in third countries: The French embassy inJapan and the France-Japan Chamber of commerce and industry, in cooperation withJBIC, JICA and AFD, organized in June, 2021 a seminar on bilateral businesscooperation in third countries to illustrate notably the various joint projects alreadyput forward by Japanese and French companies in the Indo-Pacific area.

IV – Others


Bolstering health cooperation: France and Japan intend to cooperate on
health-related issues, specifically aiming at fostering cooperation in the field of
infectious diseases, including through the promotion of the One Health Approachand in international frameworks such as the ACT Accelerator including the COVAXfacility, which contribute to improving COVID-19 situation in the World includingin the Indo-Pacific, where France and Japan share an interest in strengthening theirhealth cooperation, by drawing on their experience of cooperation at the National
Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), the leading institute for infectiousdiseases including COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. France
founded the INRB in collaboration with the local Government, while Japan
provided facilities and equipment to the Institute with the aim of improving thediagnostic capability to deal with infectious diseases and to promote thedevelopment of the medical professionals and researchers.
India-France-Japan Workshop: In January 2021, Embassies of both countries inIndia, together with the Ministry of External affairs of India and an Indian
think-tank, jointly organized the “India-France-Japan Workshop on theIndo-Pacific”, presenting their vision of the Indo-Pacific region and more
specifically, with regard to Maritime Security and Digital Connectivity.

People-to-people exchanges: JICA and AFD decided to resume discussion over theshort-term personnel exchange, suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in orderto enhance development of human resource and to strengthen their cooperation
relationship.