Poland and Japan have upgraded their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership that will see them cooperate more closely in areas such as security, infrastructure, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture.

In a joint press conference in Tokyo, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi unveiled the agreement, which follows a similar one Poland signed with South Korea a few days ago and concludes a Polish government delegation’s trip to Asia.

Poles have long viewed Japan as a “symbol of success, modernity and high aspirations”, said Tusk, but added that his country has made great strides and is now Japan’s partner “on equal terms”. Takaichi acknowledged Poland’s “steady economic growth” and the growing ties between their nations.

According to IMF figures, Poland’s GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, is now almost equal to Japan’s following decades of rapid Polish economic growth since emerging from communism in 1989.

In 2024, Poland’s GDP per capita (PPP) stood at $51,263, just behind Japan’s $52,039. By contrast, three decades earlier, in 1994, Poland’s figure of $7,040 was less than a third of Japan’s $22,823.

Tusk revealed that, during his visit, he had discussed cooperation with Takaichi and Japanese business leaders in areas including the space sector, agriculture, nuclear energy, high-speed rail, and artificial intelligence.

He added that he and Takaichi had agreed to do their “utmost to facilitate cooperation and business operations for Polish companies in Japan and Japanese companies in Poland”.

The Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported that Poland and Japan also signed a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation and a social security agreement that helps their citizens to obtain pension rights in each other’s countries. They also agreed for their space agencies to cooperate.

Takaichi said in a statement shared by her office that the social security agreement would “further facilitate economic exchanges between the two countries”, and noted that Japanese firms had already established around 400 branches in Poland.

She added that she and Tusk had “concurred in deepening the economic cooperation including infrastructure that contributes to enhancing regional connectivity and advanced technologies such as AI”.

The leaders also pledged closer cooperation in the realm of security. Japan would continue supporting Poland’s efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, Takaichi said, adding that both countries had also discussed the situation in the Middle East as well as in the Indo-Pacific.

Adam Szłapka, the Polish government’s spokesperson, meanwhile told journalists in a press briefing that Poland is now “seeking partnerships that will allow us to jointly play a stabilising role in this highly unstable world,”.

Poland and Japan have been strategic partners since 2015 and have cooperated primarily in the economic sphere. Poland mainly exports automotive components and food products to Japan, and imports advanced technologies and electronics, according to the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH).

Recent years have, however, seen their cooperation develop in new spheres, particularly nuclear energy. In 2024, the Polish and Japanese governments signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in that area as Poland pushes ahead with plans to build its first nuclear power plants.

Olivier Sorgho

Olivier Sorgho is senior editor at Notes from Poland, covering politics, business and society. He previously worked for Reuters.