Forum Keynote, Panel Call Cooperation Among Middle Powers Vital to Maintaining International Order
Masataka Okano, former secretary general of the National Security Secretariat, stressed the importance of cooperation among middle powers in maintaining international order during an event in Tokyo on Friday.
Former National Security Secretariat secretary general Masataka Okano emphasized the significance of middle power cooperation for preserving international order during a Tokyo forum on Friday. Okano, speaking at a "Possibilities and limits of cooperation among middle powers" event, defined middle powers as nations capable and willing to contribute to international order management.
He noted the world currently faces rising tensions and highlighted that middle power cooperation is crucial in establishing a consensus that unilateral status quo changes via force are unacceptable.
In a subsequent panel discussion, Keio University Professor Emeritus Yoshihide Soeya and National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies Professor Yoko Iwama expanded on Okano's remarks. Soeya clarified that the U.S.-Japan alliance and middle power cooperation are not mutually exclusive, and that believing the world order can be maintained by developed nations alone is a misconception.
Iwama, referring to the increasing influence of Global South and developing countries, asserted that cooperation among middle powers is essential for maintaining international order.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
