North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Meeting between Foreign Minister Hayashi and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg
April 4, 2023
On April 4, commencing at 19:10 p.m. (local time; April 5, 2:10 a.m. JST) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Belgium, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). An overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Minister Hayashi stated that he was pleased to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting for two years in a row and welcomed NATO’s enhanced engagement in the Indo-Pacific. Also, Minister Hayashi expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation with NATO, mentioning that Japan contributed 30 million USD to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) Trust Fund and that joined NATO-led airlift operations for disaster relief supplies for the first time.
- Secretary General Stoltenberg welcomed the progress in practical cooperation, including contributions to NATO's Trust Fund and cooperation in operations, and expressed his intension to continue promoting cooperation between Japan and NATO in various fields.
- Both sides agreed that it is important for like-minded countries to be united to continue sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine in dealing with Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Minister Hayashi also stated that, as the only country that has ever suffered atomic bombings during war time, Japan absolutely cannot accept Russia’s nuclear threat, let alone its use of nuclear weapons. Secretary General Stoltenberg praised the Prime Minister Kishida’s opportune visit to Ukraine and stated that the visit sent a strong message not only to Ukraine, but also towards the international society. In addition, both sides exchanged views on the regional situation in the Indo-Pacific and agreed to work closely together between Japan and NATO.