Japan-Ukraine Relations
Exchange of Views among Foreign Minister IWAYA, First Deputy Prime Minister -Minister of Economy of Ukraine SVYRYDENKO, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine KLYMENKO, and stakeholders Involved in Mine Action in Ukraine
On November 16, commencing around 7:15 p.m. local time (November 17th, 2:15 a.m. JST) for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, during his visit to Ukraine, held an exchange of views, while having dinner, with H.E Ms. Yuliia SVYRYDENKO, First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of Ukraine; H.E Mr. Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; and other stakeholders involved in mine action in Ukraine, regarding landmine-related issues and the Ukraine Mine Action Conference which Japan will host next year.
- Minister Iwaya expressed concern that Russia's aggression against Ukraine has resulted in Ukraine becoming one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. He stated that Japan will continue to provide landmine-related assistance for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.
- First Deputy Prime Minister Svyrydenko expressed gratitude for Japan's support for Ukraine to date and expectations for further cooperation.
- The participants held a lively exchange of views on the Ukraine Mine Action Conference, which Japan will host next autumn. They concurred to work closely with each other for the realization of the conference.
The Ukraine Mine Action Conference is an international conference to discuss such themes as Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction through mine action assistance. Switzerland took over the "International Donors' Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine" held in Croatia last year, and hosted "Ukraine Mine Action Conference" in Switzerland this October. During the G7 Apulia Summit in June, Japan announced that they would host the conference next year.