Press Conferences

Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu: Over the past three days, starting the day before yesterday, I attended various meetings and conferences here in Manila, including ASEAN-related meetings. I would like to begin by briefly summarizing the outcomes achieved so far. First of all, with regard to the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), I believe the outcomes can be grouped into three broad areas.

The first relates to the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).” Through this series of meetings, Japan was able to send out a strong message that it will further strengthen its cooperation with ASEAN, which is a key partner in realizing FOIP. In my message, I explained Japan’s updated FOIP and conveyed that Japan intends to deepen cooperation to help each country to develop “autonomy” and “resilience”, with the aim of “becoming stronger and more prosperous together,” and this received support from ASEAN countries. I also reaffirmed Japan’s support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality and for the “ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).” I believe I was able to demonstrate Japan’s strong commitment to advancing and mainstreaming the AOIP.

Second, Japan’s concrete cooperation across a range of fields received high praise from ASEAN countries. In particular, I explained that Japan would promote the strengthening of the region’s energy supply systems under “Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR) Asia” and further expand cooperation under the Asia Zero-Emission Community (AZEC). ASEAN countries expressed great appreciation and high expectations for Japan’s initiatives.

The third is reaffirmation of cooperation on regional and international affairs. I clearly conveyed Japan’s position on issues, such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and abductions issue, as well as the situations in the East and South China Seas, Myanmar, Iran, and Ukraine. We were able to share our views with many countries, including like-minded partners. In particular, I emphasized that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion are unacceptable anywhere in the world, including in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Regarding the situation in the South China Sea, I stressed that Japan strongly expects the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) to be in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). On　the situation in Iran, we were able to confirm with many countries the importance of an early de-escalation of the situation and of ensuring the free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz without any additional cost.

During my bilateral meetings, I received various questions regarding the situation in Iran. As I have been holding telephone calls with various counterparts in different formats, I shared my views on the current situation and outlook, among other matters.

At the Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, I explained Japan’s cooperation in five priority areas: energy, transnational crime, water resource management, security, and connectivity. In particular, on the measures to address scam centers, an urgent priority in the region, the two sides confirmed their commitment to strengthening each country’s investigative capabilities as well as regional coordination.

Finally, at the ministerial meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD), discussions focused on concrete support for Palestine in the areas of economic development as well as recovery and reconstruction. Japan has been working to expand the network of assistance through CEAPAD, and I believe we were able to clearly demonstrate to the international community once again the importance of CEAPAD’s approach of contributing to Palestinian state-building efforts by leveraging the resources and development expertise of East Asian countries. Asian countries are participating in CEAPAD. Participating countries one after another expressed their appreciation for this framework having been established under Japan’s leadership and for the opportunity to take part.

That concludes my remarks regarding multilateral meetings, or rather, large-scale conferences. With regard to bilateral meetings, we have already released summaries following each meeting. Starting with a courtesy call on Philippine President Marcos, I held the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, followed by the Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. I also exchanged views with the attendees from the U.S., Türkiye, Palestine, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and held a meeting with the U.K. Foreign Secretary Miliband just four days after his appointment. Later today, I am scheduled to hold a meeting with the Philippine Foreign Secretary Lazaro.

Through attending the series of meetings, I have gained a renewed sense of the high expectations the ASEAN side places on Japan. Japan and ASEAN as “Trusted Partners” will continue to further deepen our relationship of trust and advance concrete cooperation in a range of fields.

I believe that attending the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ meetings was extremely meaningful in firmly demonstrating Japan’s position, namely, to further strengthen cooperation with ASEAN and other like-minded countries toward the realization of FOIP and to contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. That concludes my opening remarks.

Reporter: In reference to your opening remark on “POWERR Asia,” I would like to ask about the situation in Iran that is also affecting Southeast Asia. The casualties among U.S. service members have further intensified the confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. Given the uncertainty surrounding the prospects of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, what concerns did other countries convey at the ASEAN-related meetings? What role does Japan intend to play going forward?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: First, “POWERR Asia” was extremely well received. As for the uncertain situation in Iran, questions were raised about how it will develop. Since early July, military clashes over the situation in the Middle East have intensified, with exchanges of attacks between the U.S. and Iran, including attacks on civilian vessels by Iran. Japan is deeply concerned about the developments, and .my impression is that this concern is shared by many countries. In light of these circumstances, as I stated earlier, at the recent ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ meetings, I emphasized to many countries the importance of de-escalating the situation and of free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz without any additional cost, and confirmed that we will work closely together toward this end. Japan will continue to make every effort to foster the conditions necessary for dialogue between the U.S.-Iran to restore peace and stability throughout the Middle East, including in the Strait of Hormuz, which is extremely important for the Japanese economy.

Reporter: I would like to ask about Japan-China relations. On this occasion, the Japanese and Chinese Foreign Ministers attended the same international conference. Did you have any informal exchanges or conversations with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi? If there were exchanges, I would like to ask the details. If there were no exchanges, I would like to ask about the current difficult Japan-China relations and the Government’s response going forward.

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: I believe it was around noon yesterday. I had an opportunity to briefly exchange greetings with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the venue. We discussed bilateral relations. As these exchanges involve diplomatic communications, I would like to refrain from making any further comments.

Reporter: Regarding your exchange with Mr. Wang Yi, about how many minutes did the conversation last? Was it conducted in Japanese or Chinese? Could you provide any further details?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: It was brief, and there were no interpreters.

Reporter: On this occasion, there were no meetings where you and Mr. Wang attended together. I assume that the opportunities for contact were very limited, and yet a dialogue took place. Could you share your candid thoughts on this, as well as your outlook for future Japan-China relations?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: Foreign Minister Wang was not present at the Gala Dinner the day before yesterday. Yesterday, however, it just so happened that the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held just before the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers’ meeting, and we happened to cross paths, which provided an opportunity for contact. Japan has consistently stated that it remains open to dialogue with China at all levels. At the same time, Japan and China play a major role in regional peace, and we believe that it is extremely important to continue dialogue going forward.

Reporter: I would like to ask about Russia. Did you have any conversation or contact with Foreign Minister Lavrov, including in informal settings? Also, there have been moves to maintain bilateral relations, such as the dispatch of senior officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and student exchanges. How do you intend to navigate Japan-Russia relations going forward? Additionally, I would like to ask whether you had any contact with the North Korean attendees.

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: There were no attendees from North Korea. The ARF meeting has just concluded, but North Korea’s seat was vacant. As for Russia, on the evening of the day before yesterday, there was a Gala Dinner hosted by the Philippines’ Foreign Secretary. On that occasion, I had an opportunity to briefly exchange greetings with Foreign Minister Lavrov. We have known each other for a long time, and we discussed bilateral relations and regional affairs. Although Japan-Russia relations remain difficult, Russia is a neighboring country of Japan. I believe it is important to properly manage the bilateral relations, including through intergovernmental communication, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges, as you mentioned. We will continue to take appropriate actions from the perspective of what is in Japan’s national interests in our overall diplomacy.

Reporter: You said you and Minister Lavrov have known each other for a long time. Which of you initiated the conversation?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: In this kind of setting, I believe people know when to speak to each other. How shall I put it -- there are many people, and when you make eye contact, conversation begins.