Asia

The three Ministers welcomed the revitalization of the Japan-China-ROK process and concurred on the importance of promoting a future-oriented and practical cooperation between Japan, China and the ROK for peace and prosperity of the region and beyond from a broad perspective.

1. The three Ministers concurred on advancing efforts on various areas such as 1) people-to-people exchange, 2) science and technology, 3) sustainable development, 4) public health, 5) economic cooperation and trade, and 6) peace and security as the future direction of concrete cooperation, and promoting concrete discussions among the three countries in preparation for the next Summit.
2. Minister Kamikawa emphasized the today’s significance of the trilateral cooperation, especially the importance of people-to people exchange which nurtures new ideas to solve various issues as the resilience is tested against the new issues three countries face together. She also proposed the possibility of exchanging knowledge among three countries on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in the areas of disaster prevention etc.

Regarding the developments surrounding North Korea, the three Ministers exchanged views in light of North Korea’s recent launch using ballistic missile technology for the purpose of satellite launch. Minister Kamikawa stated that we should firmly make efforts towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, including through the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. In addition, Minister Kamikawa once again asked for continued understanding and cooperation from China and the ROK towards the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.

Regarding the situation surrounding Israel and Palestine, Minister Kamikawa welcomed the pause to the fighting and the beginning of the release of hostages based on the deal between Israel and Hamas and expressed her hope for it to be continued, given that it is necessary to secure humanitarian pauses as well as the environment that enables humanitarian activities. Minister Kamikawa also explained that all possible efforts need to be made to prevent the conflict from spreading to other areas in the Middle East that would worsen the regional situation.

On the situation in Ukraine, Minister Kamikawa explained Japan’s position to continue severe sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine in order to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.

The three Ministers concurred on expediting preparation for holding the Trilateral Summit at the earliest convenient time.