Japan's Security / Peace & Stability of the International Community

September 22, 2023
Japanese
Four foreign ministers at the photo session

On September 22, commencing at 8:00 a.m. (EDT, at 9:00 p.m. JST), for approximately 45 minutes, Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held. The overview of the meeting is as follows. Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, during her visit to New York, the United States, to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Honorable Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia, and H.E. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India attended the meeting. After the meeting, Joint Readout was released.

  1. After candid discussions on regional issues in the Indo-Pacific, the four ministers reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific.” Minister Kamikawa also stressed that the Quad cooperation has brought various benefits to the region, and the four ministers concurred on these points.
  2. The four ministers emphasized the importance of adherence to international law to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas, and reaffirmed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force.
  3. Minister Kamikawa also explained Japan’s basic position on the discharge of ALPS treated water.
  4. Regarding North Korea, the four ministers condemned North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile launches in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.Minister Kamikawa also asked for the understanding and cooperation of each country toward the immediate resolution of the abductions issue, and gained their support.
  5. Regarding the United Nations, Minister Kamikawa stated the importance of strengthening the functions of the UN including Security Council reform. The four ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter, and concurred to advance a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including Security Council reform.
  6. Regarding cooperation with ASEAN, the four ministers reaffirmed their unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality and for the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
  7. The four ministers concurred to promote practical cooperation in areas such as climate change, infrastructure, cybersecurity, critical and emerging technologies, health security, maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and counterterrorism.
  8. The four Ministers concurred to hold the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Japan in 2024.

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