Europe
Tripartite Meeting Between Japan, the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland
May 2, 2014
On May 1, from around 2:30 p.m. for around 40 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was visiting Denmark, held a meeting with Martin Lidegaard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Aleqa Hammond, Premier of the Government of Greenland. An overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. Greenland and the Arctic pole
- (1) Premier Hammond and Foreign Minister Lidegaard expressed their welcome for Japan’s participation as an observer in the Arctic Council.
- (2) The three ministers shared the importance of universal values regarding the Arctic, including observation of international law, environmental conservation, sustainable utilization of resources and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples.
- (3) Additionally, Premier Hammond expressed her expectation for more investment from Japan which will contribute to the development of Greenland.
2. Whaling
Foreign Minister Kishida explained Japan’s position about whaling on the basis of a recent judgment by the International Court of Justice. The three ministers agreed to continue to communicate closely based on the standpoint of supporting the sustainable utilization of marine biological resources, including Cetaceans.