Japan signs agreement with NATO to deepen ties

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday signed an agreement with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to enhance the ties with the alliance, during his visit to the NATO headquarters here.

The Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP), signed by Abe and Rasmussen, aims to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation between the alliance and Japan, Xinhua quoted the NATO as saying.

"It will bring our practical cooperation to a new level including in the areas of counter piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance," said the secretary general at the press conference post the meeting.

Tuesday's signing of the IPCP builds on a joint political declaration Abe and Rasmussen signed in Tokyo in April 2013.

"Our partnership is based on shared values, a shared commitment to international peace and security and to the principles of the United Nations and international law," said Rasmussen.