Japan-Germany Relations
Meeting and Working Dinner between Prime Minister Ishiba and President Steinmeier of the Federal Republic of Germany
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
On June 19, commencing at 6:15 p.m., Mr. ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, who is visiting Japan to participate in the National Day Event of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, for approximately 40 minutes. After that, commencing at 7:15 p.m., a working dinner was held for approximately 65 minutes. The overview of the events is as follows.
From 7:00 p.m. to 7:10 p.m., Prime Minister Ishiba also received a courtesy call from a delegation of German business leaders who accompanied President Steinmeier to Japan. Prime Minister Ishiba welcomed the close ties between industry, academia, and government in both countries, and expressed his hope that the delegation's visit to Japan would further develop Japan-Germany relations, especially in the economic field.
1. Opening
- Prime Minister Ishiba welcomed President Steinmeier’s visit to Japan, expressed his respect for the significant contributions President Steinmeier has made, including to strengthening bilateral relations between Japan and Germany, and stated that, as the international community faces various challenges, close collaboration with Germany, an important partner that shares values and principles and a leading country in Europe, is extremely important.
- In response, President Steinmeier stated that his repeated visits to Japan show that Japan is an important partner and that he would like to cooperate with Japan as a country that supports the rule of law, etc.
2. Bilateral Relations
- Prime Minister Ishiba stated that the security of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable and that he welcomes the strengthening of Germany's engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders confirmed that they will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and economic security.
- In addition, the two leaders concurred on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and science and technology through the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
- Moreover, Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his expectation for the development of intellectual and people-to-people exchanges through exchanges via sister and friendship cities and through the activities of the Japan-Germany Forum and the Japan-German Center Berlin. In response, President Steinmeier expressed his hope that Japan-Germany relations will become even stronger as the two countries deepen exchanges in a wide range of areas.
3. Regional Issues
The two leaders exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and NATO cooperation, and confirmed that Japan and Germany will continue to work closely together to address various issues in the international community.