Japan-Austria Relations
Courtesy Call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs KUNIMITSU Ayano
by H.E. Mrs. Sigrid BERKA, Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Austria to Japan
December 5, 2025
On December 5th, commencing at 2:05 p.m., for approximately 30 minutes, State Minister for Foreign Affairs KUNIMITSU Ayano received a courtesy call from H.E. Mrs. Sigrid BERKA, Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Austria to Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
- At the outset, State Minister KUNIMITSU expressed congratulations on the appointment of Mrs. Berka as the Ambassador-Designate to Japan and stated her intention to work closely together to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law in light of the current international situation. She also expressed her satisfaction that the momentum for strengthening bilateral relations is increasing, particularly through the “Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai” and expectation for the further strengthening of the relations, with particular emphasis on the economic, scientific and technological fields.
- In response, Ambassador-Designate Berka stated that culture is a vital element connecting Japan and Austria and expressed her intention to continue to make efforts to deepen the Japan-Austria relations, including in the economic, scientific and technological domains.
- Both sides exchanged views on the situation in East Asia such as their policies toward North Korea including on the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue, in addition to the situation in Ukraine, and concurred that the two countries will continue to closely cooperate in addressing various global challenges.