Today in Tokyo, the United States and Japan signed a protocol that extends and amends the U.S.-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Research and Development in Science and Technology, also known as the U.S.-Japan Science and Technology Agreement. Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios signed for the United States and Minister for Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu signed for Japan.
First signed in 1988, the Science and Technology Agreement provides a legally binding framework for scientific cooperation between the U.S. and Japanese governments. Under this framework, the United States and Japan have built countless links between their scientific communities.
The protocol extends the Agreement indefinitely, a sign of the deep trust and respect between the U.S. and Japanese governments. The extended and amended Agreement positions both countries to sustain and strengthen their cooperation, with a focus on critical and emerging technologies that improve the lives of both peoples.
The indefinite extension reaffirms the long-term U.S. and Japanese commitment to close partnership on science and technology, while advancing a secure, trusted innovation ecosystem that benefits both nations.