Japan-Hungary Relations
Japan-Hungary Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
On September 1, commencing at 8:40 a.m., local time (3:40 p.m. JST) for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Slovakia to attend the “V4 Plus Japan” Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Anita Orbán, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister MOTEGI, referring to their telephone talk in June, expressed his pleasure at meeting Minister Orbán in person for the first time. He stated that about 200 Japanese companies operating in Hungary have created approximately 30,000 jobs, contributing to the Hungarian economy over many years. Noting that Hungary is an important partner for Japan as a member of the EU, the NATO and the V4, Minister MOTEGI expressed his intention to further strengthen bilateral relations. In response, Minister Orbán welcomed the opportunity to hold a second foreign ministers’ meeting within a short period of time and expressed her hope for the further development of bilateral relations including the economic relations.
- Minister MOTEGI welcomed the fact that the favorable relationship between Japanese companies and the Hungarian Government has been maintained under the new administration. The two sides concurred on further deepening of cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the economy, economic security, and smart agriculture. In particular, the two sides concurred on strengthening cooperation in the field of economic security including cooperation among like-minded countries.
- The two sides also exchanged views on regional issues, including the situation in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, cyber issues and the abductions issue, and concurred on continuing to work closely together in addressing these issues.
(Reference)V4 (Visegrad 4)
A framework for regional cooperation comprising of the Slovak Republic (current Presidency holder), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. It was founded in 1991 in Visegrád, Hungary. In addition to dialogues among leaders, foreign ministers and senior officials, cooperation under the “V4 Plus Japan” framework has been promoted in a wide range of fields, including science and technology, third country assistance, disaster prevention, and environmental issues.