Overview
- Leaders Sanae Takaichi and Friedrich Merz met at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and agreed to create an AI High‑Level Dialogue to steer joint work on AI research, policy and governance.
- The two governments pledged closer coordination on economic security with an explicit focus on reducing risks from China’s export controls and on strengthening supply chains for critical minerals and semiconductors.
- They committed to deepen military-to-military ties and to pursue defense‑industry cooperation, and Germany signalled a willingness to engage with multilateral fighter development talks reported by officials.
- Takaichi and Merz designated the relationship a “premium partner” political upgrade but left operational details, timelines and legal arrangements for implementation unspecified.
- Next steps to watch include a planned government meeting in Berlin next year, the follow-up of roughly 30 bilateral economic and technology memoranda reported during the visit, and how both countries translate political alignment into concrete export‑control and procurement rules.