Japan-EU Relations
Japan-EU Foreign Ministers’ Working Lunch
April 4, 2023
On April 4, commencing at 13:00 p.m. (local time; same day, 20:00 p.m. JST) for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Belgium to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held a working lunch with H.E. Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission. An overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Minister Hayashi expressed his desire to continue to work closely with the EU, as the important partner with shared fundamental values, to uphold the free and open international order.
- In responding to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Ministers agreed to continue to cooperate and to work together on a wide range of challenges facing the international community in common, including the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP).
- The Ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the East Asia, responses to economic and security challenges, including economic coercion, and the response to North Korea, including the nuclear and missile programs and the abduction issue, and reaffirmed to continue working together.
- Minister Hayashi requested cooperation on the early lifting of import measures on Japanese food products by the EU.