Japan-Italy Relations
Japan-Italy Foreign Ministers' Meeting
May 5, 2021
Japan-Italy Foreign Ministers' Meeting
On May 5, commencing at 11:25 a.m. (local time;May 5, 7:25 p.m. JST) for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting the United Kingdom to attend the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting, held a meeting with H.E. Hon. Luigi Di Maio, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Minister Motegi expressed his intention to cooperate with Italy, who holds the G20 Presidency this year and co-hosts COP26 with the UK. In response, Minister Di Maio stated that in addition to bilateral cooperation, he would like to cooperate with Japan in the G20 and COP26.
- Minister Motegi welcomed the “EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” and expressed his hope that Italy would contribute actively to the formulation of the EU Joint Communique. Minister Di Maio stated that the G7 had a meaningful discussion on China and Myanmar, and that Italy attaches importance to coordination with Japan on the 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 China’s Coast Guard Law and continued and strengthened unilateral attempts to change the status quo, the situation in Hong Kong, and the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
- The two Ministers also discussed the denuclearization of North Korea, and Minister Motegi asked for understanding and cooperation towards the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.