Japan-Luxembourg Relations
Japan-Luxembourg Foreign Minister’s Meeting
April 5, 2023
On April 5th, commencing at 9:30 a.m. (local time; April 5th, 4:30 p.m. JST), for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Brussels, the Kingdom of Belgium, to attend the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Jean ASSELBORN, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Europe of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi expressed his pleasure for being able to meet again with Minister Asselborn after last year's Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs and his desire to continue to work closely with Luxembourg to address the common challenges of the international community. The two Ministers concurred on further progress of the bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including aerospace field.
- Touching upon Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to Ukraine, Minister Hayashi stated that as the only country which has ever suffered atomic bombings during wartime, Japan absolutely cannot accept Russia’s nuclear threat, let alone its use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. The two Ministers shared, concerning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, that it is important for like-minded countries to unite to maintain strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine and that strengthening outreach toward the international community including the Global South is essential.
- The Ministers also discussed the situations of the East Asia, addressing economic security issues including economic coercion, and addressing North Korea including the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue, and concurred on their further cooperation.
- Minister Hayashi asked for Luxembourg's cooperation in the early removal of import restrictions by the EU on Japanese food products.