LONDON — The United Kingdom and Japan will establish commercial and government agreements valued at approximately £18 billion. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Downing Street on Sunday, where she was hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Officials anticipate more than 10 commercial and government agreements will be signed during the visit. The visit occurred ahead of the G7 summit scheduled for the following week. These agreements include a £9 billion investment in offshore wind projects and more than £9 billion from Japanese firms into United Kingdom infrastructure and financial services.

Rolls-Royce will sign an agreement to develop next-generation nuclear technologies in collaboration with Japan's Atomic Energy Agency. A separate technology agreement will connect United Kingdom research, development, and software expertise with Japanese manufacturing capabilities. British and Japanese business leaders will attend a discussion on future economic growth opportunities. Discussions are also planned to cover methods to help UK defense firms access Japanese investment.

Mitsubishi Estate, Mitsui Fudosan, and Nomura Real Estate agreed to invest billions over five years in UK infrastructure and real estate projects. However, it is unclear how much of the announced investment represents new funding compared to previously announced plans. The UK economy grew by 0.6 percent during the first three months of the year. The Bank of England warned that UK inflation could reach 6 percent in a worst-case scenario due to international geopolitical tensions.

Prime Minister Starmer stated, "These agreements will bring multibillion-pound investment into the UK, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and driving new developments." Starmer said, "These talks were very productive." "As G7 economies and close security partners, we are working together with Japan on some of the most innovative technology in the world, harnessing the best of British and Japanese research and industry to deliver growth and security to every corner of the United Kingdom," he said. Takaichi said, "The UK is an extremely important partner."

Conservative Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith said, "We welcome any deal that brings investment to the UK." He also stated, "Labour's tax hikes and employer red tape are doing huge damage, destroying jobs and putting more and more people onto welfare."