Japan-Slovenia Relations

On February 16, commencing at 10:00 a.m. local time (6:00 p.m. on February 16, Japan time) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was visiting Munich to attend the 55th Munich Security Conference, held a meeting with Dr. Miro CERAR, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the beginning, Minister Kono and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cerar welcomed the first foreign ministers’ meeting between Japan and Slovenia in the last 11 years, and shared their views on revitalizing bilateral relations in various fields, in particular economic fields, as important partners that share the fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law as well as the concept of human security.

2. Furthermore, Minister Kono welcomed the fact that the Government of Slovenia had placed Japan as its priority market as a part of its action plan to attract foreign investment, and stated that he expected further development of their bilateral relations after the entry into force of the Japan-EU EPA. In response, Minister Cerar welcomed investment by Japanese companies, and expressed his expectations for the further expansion of cooperation, particularly in high-tech fields.

3. Furthermore, Minister Cerar welcomed the involvement of Japan in the Western Balkans and the two ministers committed to cooperating further on support for the stability and EU accession of the Western Balkans.

4. In addition, the two ministers held a wide-ranging exchange of views regarding regional situations and collaboration toward UN Security Council reform.