Japan-Sweden Relations
Japan-Sweden Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
April 4, 2025
On April 4, commencing at 11:15 a.m. (local time; April 4, 6:15 p.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting Belgium to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held a meeting with H.E. Ms. Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Foreign Minister Iwaya stated that Sweden is a longstanding friend of Japan with over 150 years of friendly relations, including exchanges between the Imperial Family of Japan and Royal Family of Sweden. He noted that, building on the upgrade of Japan-Sweden relations to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Kristersson’s visit to Japan in December last year, he hopes to further develop bilateral relations. In response, Minister Stenergard stated that she hopes that Sweden and Japan will work further closely.
- The two Ministers confirmed that, in addition to cooperation in the field of security, they would deepen collaboration in a wide range of areas, including nuclear energy, green transition, digital transformation, and life sciences.
- The two Ministers confirmed that Japan and Sweden will work closely together on various issues of the international community such as the situation in Ukraine, the situation in East Asia and nuclear disarmament