North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Meeting between Foreign Minister Hayashi and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg
February 19, 2022
On February 19, commencing at 5:00 p.m. (local time; February 20, 1:00 a.m. JST) for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Germany to attend the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, 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.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi stated that he was delighted to hold their first meeting face-to-face and that he would like to advance cooperation between Japan and NATO, which is working to strengthen ties with Asia-Pacific partners including Japan, towards the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific". Secretary General Stoltenberg stated that Japan is an important partner and that he would like to continue to promote cooperation in various areas.
- They affirmed their consistent support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, monitoring the situation around Ukraine with grave concern. They confirmed that any unilateral change of the status quo by force is never acceptable, and they will continue to work closely together towards easing tensions. In addition, they exchanged their views on the regional situation in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.