Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA and Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN
May 23, 2024
On May 23, 2024, commencing at 2:00 p.m. for approximately 40 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
- At the outset, Foreign Minister Kamikawa touched on Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn’s visit to Hiroshima during his stay in Japan this time and stated that having an accurate understanding on the realities of nuclear weapons use is the starting point for all manner of efforts towards nuclear disarmament. Foreign Minister Kamikawa then mentioned that the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation was a great success and was highly appreciated by the ASEAN countries.
- Minister Kamikawa further mentioned that the cooperation between Japan and ASEAN had been highly recognized and that Japan had been voted the most trusted partner for ASEAN among major powers in an opinion poll by a prominent ASEAN think-tank for six consecutive years.
- Minister Kamikawa then stated that Japan would like to work with the ASEAN Secretariat to steadily realize the new vision for cooperation, including “WA Project 2.0” and the Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Connectivity Initiative, which had been set out at the Commemorative Summit, in line with the Implementation Plan and to further strengthen the relations as “Trusted Partners” and pass it on to the next generation.
- In response, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim-hong paid tribute to the success of the Commemorative Summit and expressed high expectations for the further strengthening of cooperation between Japan and ASEAN in the future.
- During their meeting, Minister Kamikawa and Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between Japan and ASEAN. In light of the Secretary-General's visit to Myanmar this month, they also exchanged views on how to respond to the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. They both look forward to meeting again in Vientiane, Lao PDR during the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference in July.