Japan-Germany Relations
Courtesy call on Prime Minister Ishiba by participants of the Japanese-German Forum
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
On October 31, commencing at 18:10 for about 25 minutes, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba received a courtesy call from the participants of the Japanese-German Forum, a summary of which is as follows.
- At the outset, PM Ishiba welcomed the holding of the 32nd Meeting of the Japanese-German Forum in Tokyo. Having pointed out the importance of cooperation between Japan and Germany sharing values and principles, the Prime Minister stated that he would like to hear the opinions from the participants.
- Co-chairs of the forum, Mr. Eizo Kobayashi (Japan) and Mr. Matthias Nass (Germany), reported on the discussions at the Forum, which focused on topics including the declining birthrate and aging population, generative AI, and the roles of German-Japanese diplomacy in the current situation in the international society.
- PM Ishiba expressed his anticipation that the Forum will further contribute to strengthening Japan-Germany relations and promoting mutual understanding with the participation of experts from various fields representing both countries. The Prime Minister also stated that he looked forward to some thought-provoking recommendations on how cooperation between Germany and Japan should be conducted based on this year’s meeting.
The Japanese-German Forum was created in 1993, based on the agreement of (then) Japanese Prime Minister MIYAZAWA Kiichi and (then) German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, for the purpose of strengthening Japan-Germany relations and promoting mutual understanding, as a group of eminent persons consisting of experts in various fields from each country who engage in open debate. A joint meeting of the Forum, attended by high-level participants from politics, business, academia, and other fields from Japan and Germany, is convened annually, with the venue alternating between Japan and Germany, and a statement from the meeting is submitted to the Japanese Prime Minister and the German Chancellor.