Japan-Vatican Relations
Japan-Vatican Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
November 23, 2018
On November 23, commencing at 6:10 p.m. (2:10 a.m. on November 24, Japan time) for approximately 40 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was visiting Vatican City State, held a Japan-Vatican Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with H.E. Mgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. Beginning, bilateral relations
- (1) Secretary Gallagher expressed his gratitude for the welcome he had received on his visit to Japan in January last year, and highly appreciated the proactive role that Japan has been consistently performing in the international community.
- (2) Minister Kono welcomed that His Holiness Pope Francis recently had expressed his intention to visit Japan in 2019, and stated that the Government of Japan will spare no effort in realizing his visit to Japan. They held discussions to realize the visit, and they confirmed that they would continue to cooperate closely in prepareing the visit through their respective Embassies.
2. Regional affairs
- (1) They exchanged views on the North Korea situation, and confirmed that they would continue to work closely together.
- (2) They also exchanged views on other regional affairs, and shared the view that Japan and the Vatican would cooperate more closely on the various challenges facing the international community.