Japan-France Relations
Japan-France Foreign Ministers' Meeting
May 4, 2021
Japan-France Foreign Ministers' Meeting
On May 4, commencing at 5:05 p.m. (local time; on May 5, 1:05 a.m. JST) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting the United Kingdom to attend G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Minister Motegi expressed his pleasure of meeting Minister Le Drian again after his previous visit to Paris last October. Minister Le Drian expressed his pleasure of having once again a face-to-face meeting with Minister Motegi since last October and expressed his hope for further cooperation, including in the field of the Indo-Pacific.
- Minister Motegi pointed out that he highly values France's enhanced engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and welcomed the“EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” issued last month and France played a leading role in the process of its formulation. The two Ministers confirmed that they would work together to materialize the bilateral cooperation towards the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
- The two Ministers exchanged views on the situation in the East and South China Seas. They shared their serious concerns about China’s recent actions, including the Coast Guard Law and its continued and strengthened unilateral attempts to change the status quo. They also shared once again their serious concerns about the situation surrounding Hong Kong and the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
- The two Ministers shared the views to continue to work closely to denuclearize North Korea. Minister Motegi also asked for understanding and cooperation towards the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
- The two Ministers confirmed that they would cooperate in international frameworks such as the COVAX Facility for the response against COVID-19, and in areas such as climate change and WTO reform.
- The two Ministers shared the views to work together toward the success of this year’s Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as of the Games that will take place in Paris in 2024.