Japan-Ukraine Relations
Japan-Ukraine Summit Meeting
October 17, 2014
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
On Friday, October 17, commencing at 4:15 p.m. (local time) for approximately 30 minutes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting Milan to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting 10 Summit Meeting (ASEM 10), held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine. The overview is as follows. (Attending on the Ukrainian side were H.E. Mr. Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and others. Attending on the Japanese side were Mr. Hiroshige Seko, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, and others).
1. Beginning
- (1) Prime Minister Abe expressed his respect for the leadership President Poroshenko is displaying under difficult circumstances. Prime Minister Abe also explained that Japan has consistently emphasized respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said Japan recognizes that this is an issue that involves the whole international community, including Asia, and will coordinate with other G7 members to firmly support the stability of Ukraine.
- (2) Additionally, Prime Minister Abe noted the importance of successfully carrying out Ukraine’s parliamentary election at the end of this month, and explained that Japan has decided to send election observers.
- (3) President Poroshenko said he highly appreciates Prime Minister Abe’s economic policies and hopes to learn from them personally, along with inviting Prime Minister Abe to visit Ukraine at the earliest possible opportunity. President Poroshenko also requested support for Ukraine’s formal membership in the ASEM.
- (4) In response, Prime Minister Abe expressed his gratitude for President Poroshenko’s appreciation of Japan’s economic policies. He also thanked President Poroshenko for his invitation to Ukraine and said hewould look into it.
2. Situation in and support to Ukraine
- (1) Prime Minister Abe expressed his concern over the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine even following the ceasefire agreement. He said Japan places importance on coordinating with other G7 countries to encourage a constructive response from Russia, and has taken the step of imposing sector-based sanctions. Prime Minister Abe at the same time expressed his hope that, there will be an effort to stabilize the situation and resolve the problem, including through the complete fulfillment of the ceasefire agreement, and to pursue nation-building from a mid- to long-term perspective.
- (2) Additionally, President Poroshenko expressed his gratitude for the support extended by Japan in various fields, and for the additional measures Japan has taken in regards to Russia. He also requested additional economic and technical assistance for the Donbass region, where the infrastructure has been significantly damaged as a result of the conflict.
- (3) In response, Prime Minister Abe explained that Japan will steadily implement economic support to Ukraine of up to approximately 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, which it has already pledged. He also explained that along with a decision to provide humanitarian assistance for internally-displaced people that was made recently, as new support toward restoring Eastern Ukraine, which is an urgent challenge facing the country, Japan is currently considering implementing a total of approximately 6 million U.S. dollars of support for two regions in Eastern Ukraine to begin with. He said Japan is also planning to implement a total of approximately 1 million U.S. dollars of assistance in the medical field. In response, President Poroshenko once again expressed his gratitude for the support extended by Japan thus far.
- (4) The two leaders exchanged views on the most recent situation in Eastern Ukraine.
3. Bilateral relations
- (1) The two leaders confirmed that they will move bilateral relations solidly forward, including cooperation to advance aftermath response to accidents at nuclear power stations and steady progress in negotiating an investment agreement.
- (2) President Poroshenko said he wants to strive to prepare an environment for attracting investment from Japanese companies. He also indicated that following the parliamentary election, a parliament and a government that are friendly to Europe and Japan will be established.
- (3) President Poroshenko also explained that one of his relatives had worked in Japan for eight years and had grown fond of the country, and the two leaders also shared the view that people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are important.