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Israel, Japan launch new cybersecurity cooperation

Xinhua, May 11, 2017 Adjust font size:

Israel and Japan signed in Jerusalem agreements to boost cyber security economic cooperation between the two countries, Israel's Ministry of Economy and Industry said in a statement on Thursday.

The two agreements were signed by Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen and the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko in Jerusalem.

The first agreement is a joint statement calling for increased cooperation between Israeli governmental bodies, commercial organizations and companies with Japanese businesses in a variety of fields, the statement said.

Under the deal, the two countries will establish an organization to unite relevant economic organizations in Israel and in Japan to upgrade the ties, mainly in the fields of advanced industries, including artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous driving and more.

Under the second deal, both countries will increase their investments and joint activity in the field of cyber security. They also agreed to establish "joint training programs and joint work seminars, and calls on Israeli experts to contribute to a new cybersecurity center of excellence being established in Japan," the statement said.

Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen stressed the importance of the deals for the Israeli market. "I see cooperation with Japan, the world's third-largest economy after China and the U.S., as a strategic goal for the Israeli economy," he said in a statement.

"The visit of Minister Seko in Israel is a sign of Japan's serious determination to strengthen joint relations and to take our economic relations to the next level," he said.

According to Cohen, he and Seko "have set a joint goal of doubling the scope of trade between the countries and I believe we will reach this goal."

The Japanese minister said relations between Israel and Japan would foster economic growth in Japan. "We need Israeli support in cyber-security, especially ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and are looking forward to fruitful cooperation," he said.

According to Ohad Cohen, Trade Commissioner at the Foreign Trade Administration of the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, Israel hopes that the new agreements will help "Israeli companies integrate into the Japanese market and forge cooperation with Japanese corporations, especially ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, trade of goods between Israel and Japan reached 3 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, with Israeli exports to Japan reaching 700 million dollars.

Israeli exports to Japan include optical and medical devices, machinery, electrical equipment, and chemicals. Import of goods from Japan reached 2.6 billion dollars in 2016. The leading sectors include machines and mechanical devices, computer hardware and automotive vehicles. Endit