UK and Japan Establish Economic Talks

The United Kingdom and Japan have agreed to establish a new 'Economic 2+2' framework for dialogue, which will involve their foreign and economy ministers in a bid to strengthen trade and economic security cooperation. This decision was made during a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The initiative aims to address concerns over potential tariff increases from the United States under President-elect Donald Trump, which have raised alarms among both nations. Additionally, the leaders emphasized their commitment to collaborate on various global issues, including the situations in East Asia and Ukraine, highlighting the inseparability of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security. The first meeting is scheduled for early 2025, marking a significant expansion of their diplomatic dialogue to include economic matters.