Page 14 - 2020 Defence White Paper

the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) and tensions between the US
and Europe over NATO’s defense cost burden-sharing issue. In addition, tension
between the EU and Russia continues as the EU extended its economic sanctions
against Russia for six months, which had been scheduled to end in late July 2020, in
relation to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia.
In the Middle East, violent extremist factions like ISIS are weakening, but
the years-long civil war in Syria and Yemen is unlikely to end in the near term.
Meanwhile, Iran’s threat to block the Strait of Hormuz after the US announced its
4)
withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 and restored its sanctions against Iran
escalated tensions in the region, and the conf ict between Israel and Palestine persists
as well. On the other hand, with an agreement to normalize ties between the United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Israel in 2020, the situation in the Middle East is
expected to change.
Political and economic instability continues in Africa as well due to power
struggles between political forces, ethnic conflicts, and terrorism by violent
extremists caused by chronic issues such as low development. Attacks by extremist
Islamic militants are still occurring in countries in the Sahel region and in Somalia
5)
and other East African nations, while pirate attacks in the waters of the Gulf of

Guinea in West Africa are rapidly increasing.

3. International Cooperation on Responding to Security Threats

As the world continues to experience the spread of COVID-19, the need for
cooperation and collaboration in the international community is increasing. Given
that transnational and non-military security threats such as infectious diseases,
climate change, cyber terror, and terrorism are not limited to individual countries
or certain regions, countries around the world are strengthening their international
4)
An agreement on Iran’s cooperation efforts through solidarity and cooperation to overcome the common
nuclear issue signed crisis.
in July 2015 with the
permanent members of the Through the 2020 extraordinary G20 summit on COVID-19 held in March
UN Security Council and
Germany (P5+1) as Joint 2020, the Special ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit on COVID-19 in April, a
Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA). WHO meeting in May, an APEC summit in November, and a G20 video summit
5) in November, the participating leaders vowed to work together with international
Refers to an area south of
the Sahara Desert and the organizations in responding to COVID-19, and urged the international community
five neighboring nations
in that area: Niger, Mali, to take joint action. Cooperation in the international community is underway as well,
Mauritania, Burkina Faso,
and Chad. including the provision of disinfection and quarantine supplies to countries in need

2020 Defense White Paper