Press Conferences

Foreign Press Secretary KITAMURA Toshihiro: At the outset, I would like to make two announcements. The first concerns the convening of the Conference of Ambassadors to Latin America and the Caribbean.

For two days starting tomorrow, on the 5th and 6th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will hold the FY2025 Conference of Ambassadors to Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry.

At this conference, with a view to promoting Japan’s major foreign policies through close coordination between MOFA headquarters and our diplomatic missions abroad, we plan to conduct broad discussions on Japan’s diplomacy toward Latin America and the Caribbean.

We also plan to take this opportunity to hold exchanges of views with business organizations, among other activities.

Press Secretary KITAMURA: The second announcement concerns the Joint Invitation Program for Israeli and Palestinian Youth.

MOFA is implementing the Joint Invitation Program for Israeli and Palestinian Youth for the first time in three years. This fiscal year, the program will be conducted on separate schedules for Israel and Palestine, with five participants invited from each side.

The participants from Palestine are currently visiting Japan.

During their stay, through exchanges of views with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), participants will visit to Hiroshima and Kyoto. Through these activities, we hope they will deepen their understanding of Japan’s diplomatic policy, including its efforts toward peace in the Middle East, as well as Japan’s economy, culture and other areas.

This programme marks the 24th iteration of this invitation program since its inception in 1997, with a total of approximately 230 participants from Israel and Palestine to date.

In January, Foreign Minister MOTEGI visited Israel and Palestine and announced Japan’s “Efforts for Sustaining Peace.” As part of Japan’s distinctive contribution to peace in the Middle East toward the realization of a two-state solution, Japan will continue such sustained efforts to foster mutual understanding and confidence-building.