Establishment of Headquarters for Foreign Policy concerning Maritime Affairs

July 20, 2007

Today, the Basic Law on the Oceans was put into effect. Following this development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a Headquarters for Foreign Policy concerning Maritime Affairs headed by Mr. Shotaro Yachi, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, with a view to conducting faster and more effective comprehensive planning, coordination and policy-making regarding the overall foreign policy on maritime affairs. In the afternoon of July 20, the headquarters had its first meeting.
At the first meeting, it was confirmed that it was extremely important for the maintenance and promotion of the national interest of Japan, a maritime nation, to secure, in a harmonious manner, freedom on the high seas, freedom of navigation, maritime peace and security, and Japan’s interests and rights in coastal and offshore seas. The meeting also confirmed that maritime policies should be carried out from a standpoint of international cooperation based on international law, that conflicts with other countries should be solved peacefully in accordance with international law, and that they should be solved in international courts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to have a meeting of its new headquarters from time to time and proactively engage with the comprehensive maritime policy headquarters, which is headed by the Prime Minister, to actively contribute to the promotion of maritime policies under the new regime.

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