Within the past week, there have been at least two international meetings centered on discussing cooperation regarding technological advancement. In both meetings, space technology and cybersecurity were key topics. The first, between Azerbaijan and Turkey, involved a variety of topics ranging from aerospace to AI. The main outcomes of that meeting include an agreement to establish relevant training programs in Azerbaijan as well as meetings between experts in both nations to exchange ideas. Given the longstanding alliance between Azerbaijan and Turkey, this commitment is likely genuine, and the probability that they will follow through is high (AZERTAC, 2024).
Japanese and Indian officials recently held a similar meeting between defense and foreign affairs ministers. Japan and India also share a cooperative relationship, having engaged in collaboration regarding aerospace, cybersecurity, defense, and related topics for over a decade. In this case, a standing agreement already exists, the 2008 “Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation,” and the two countries aim to update it to reflect cybersecurity and space priorities. Beyond revising that document, this meeting focused on joint drills and exercises (The Japan News, 2024).
For the involved countries and their allies, these two meetings can largely be seen as positive, especially in the absence of more global agreements that reflect modern space technology and cybersecurity concerns. The mere fact that cybersecurity and space are parts of the same conversations is encouraging for those working in the intersection of those two fields, as it sparks hope that the training programs, knowledge exchanges, formal agreements, and drills decided upon will allow cybersecurity and aerospace professionals to have sorely needed discussions. Additionally, promoting knowledge, cooperation, openness, and education in these meetings will ideally inform these nations’ development and use of technology. While an agreement encompassing multiple nations would be ideal, especially given the age of such documents as the Outer Space Treaty from 1967, the current geopolitical reality means that smaller alliances may be the only option for any productive negotiation. Russia, China, and the United States, for instance, are highly unlikely to agree on anything meaningful, let alone proactively collaborate with each other, and those are far from the only powers with space technology who disagree on how to use it.
Even though binational or similarly limited alliances may be the best available option, and one worth pursuing, these meetings may be seen as provocation by adversaries of the involved countries. For instance, The Japan News discusses Japan’s technology development as it relates to its negative relationship with China. India generally strives for autonomy in foreign relations, working to avoid dependence on any other power, and it maintains working relations even with Russia despite the ongoing war in Ukraine (The Japan News, 2024). China may then see this meeting as a warning sign of aggression from Japan or even from India, while adversaries of Russia may not want to engage with Japan and India as much for fear that India’s willingness to cooperate with Russia could compromise their own security. All of these concerns are connected to the defense focus of both the Azerbaijan-Turkey and Japan-India meetings, as the emphasis on military technology and national security brings to mind the possibilities of international aggression. Ideally, these meetings both have a stabilizing, educational, and cooperative impact, but it is important to acknowledge the possibility of unintended responses.
Works Cited:
Azerbaijan and Türkiye discuss cooperation in space industry, AI, and Cybersecurity. AZERTAC. (2024, August 14). https://azertag.az/en/xeber/azerbaijan_and_turkiye_discuss_cooperation_in_space_industry_ai_and_cybersecurity-3137146
The Japan News. (2024, August 18). Japan, India to accelerate space, cyber security cooperation; set to confirm revision of joint declaration at 2+2 meeting. The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun. https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/defense-security/20240817-205556/