**ISTANBUL**
In a recent interview in Tokyo, British Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds highlighted the "exceptional potential" for future defense collaboration with Japan as the two nations, alongside Italy, continue to develop their next-generation fighter jet project.
Reynolds while calling the Global Combat Air Program a “complex” project on Friday, said that “the potential for...industrial collaboration in a whole range of defense sectors is absolutely evident,” according to the Kyodo news agency.
Japan and Britain had affirmed Thursday that they will continue their collaboration with Italy on a trilateral project to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035 as Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani met with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Tokyo.
This project marks the first time Japan is collaborating with another country except US on defense equipment developing.
“I see defense and security in particular as being a focus of collaboration between our two countries, with, again, exceptional potential for the future,” Reynolds said.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, along with British Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto at the first "two-plus-two" dialogue on the economy between the two countries last week.
Japan and Britain, both strong security allies of the United States, have been strengthening their security relations in recent years, including by expanding joint defense exercises.
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