Meeting Between Minister for Foreign Affairs Matsumoto and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia Kefi

May 23, 2011
Japanese

On Monday, May 23, Mr. Takeaki Matsumoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, had a meeting at the MOFA building with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Mouldi Kefi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

Great East Japan Earthquake
In commencing the meeting, Minister Matsumoto expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Tunisia for its assistance and words of sympathy in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. Minister Kefi stated that the primary aim of his visit to Japan is to express his sympathy to the Government and the people of Japan, and that Tunisia's assistance related to this earthquake is an expression of gratitude for Japan's previous assistance to Tunisia for over 50 years.
Bilateral relations
(1) Minister Kefi conveyed Tunisia's resolve to realize a prompt transition to a democratic system, and explained the need for assistance from the international community including Japan.

(2) Minister Matsumoto expressed Japan's position to support Tunisia's steady political transition and reform efforts, in light of the good bilateral relations to date. Minister Matsumoto also stated that Japan intends to provide support, including through the dispatch of election monitoring missions, for a transparent and fair election in Tunisia, where the first election since the regime change is scheduled to take place in order to elect the National Constituent Assembly.
Cooperation in the international arena
Minister Kefi stated that Tunisia continues to support Japan's bid to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

(*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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