Press Conferences

Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu: I still have dinner with Foreign Minister Battsetseg this evening, but as I have mostly completed the itinerary for this overseas visit, I would like to share some overall impressions. My visits had three main objectives: first, to confirm cooperation toward maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law; second, to advance economic cooperation, including in the energy and infrastructure fields; and third, to strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners and the Global South. In Turkmenistan, which was the first visit by a Japanese Foreign Minister in nine years, I held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Meredov and paid a courtesy call on the President. In a profoundly changing and increasingly severe international situation, the geopolitical importance of Central Asia is growing even greater. Building on the outcomes of the Summit of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue (CA+JAD), which was held for the first time in Tokyo last year, we agreed to promote cooperation in a wide range of areas, such as natural resources, energy, resource circulation, and artificial intelligence (AI). We also held a candid exchange of views on regional and international affairs and confirmed our continued cooperation in the international arena.

On my second stop, Slovakia, I attended a Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group (V4) Plus Japan, which was held for the first time in five years, and held bilateral meetings with each of the four foreign ministers who came to the meeting. Japan and the V4 shared the view that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable, and the V4 expressed support for Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). We also held in-depth discussions on regional affairs, including the situations in the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine, and the Middle East, and agreed to work closely together on addressing various issues Furthermore, we were able to confirm turning Japan’s association with Horizon Europe into an opportunity to further promote cooperation in advanced technology fields, including AI, as well as to support the activities of Japanese companies in the EU market, and to maintain and strengthen open markets and stable supply chains. I believe every country was in complete agreement on maintaining and strengthening resilient supply chains that can be trusted among like-minded nations.
Next, I traveled by car to Austria, which will serve as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council beginning next year. Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger and I agreed to work closely together in the United Nations and other international fora. Additionally, I explained Japan’s positions on the situations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and East Asia and was able to gain Austria’s understanding and support. With regard to support for Ukraine, the European countries I visited expressed strong expectations and appreciation for Japan’s position. Japan and Austria also confirmed to further promote exchanges among companies and researchers, including in cutting-edge fields such as pharmaceuticals and life sciences, with support provided by the two countries, as well as to strengthen cooperation in fields such as semiconductors and next-generation energy.

On my final stop, Mongolia, as I mentioned in detail at the earlier press conference, I conveyed during my meeting with Foreign Minister Battsetseg that Japan, as Mongolia’s “Third Neighbor,” will cooperate under Japan’s Updated FOIP to strengthen Mongolia’s autonomy and resilience. The two of us also welcomed the substantial agreement reached regarding cooperation on the expansion of Chinggis Khaan International Airport, which is key to improving air connectivity in Mongolia. We had a lengthy, candid discussion on the situation in the Indo-Pacific as well, and I once again expressed my appreciation for Mongolia’s understanding and cooperation on the abduction issue. The Mongolian side highly appreciated the path Japan has consistently followed as a peace-loving nation. Furthermore, I was able to have meaningful exchanges of views in Mongolia with the President and the Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament), the equivalent of Japan’s Speaker of the Diet, on further strengthening our “Special Strategic Partnership.” Japan has built longstanding relationships of friendship and trust with the countries I visited on this trip. Building on this foundation, we intend to continue multilayered dialogue and steadily follow up on the outcomes of these visits, with a view to maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law.

Lastly, on a separate note from my visit, I would like to speak about Japan’s disaster assistance for Nepal. While I was in Slovakia, I held a telephone call with Foreign Minister Khanal of Nepal, as announced in our press release. The Government of Japan is first and foremost making every effort to confirm the safety of the five Japanese nationals who are unaccounted for and remains committed to protecting the lives of Japanese nationals. Nepal, for its part, has stated that it would lend its full cooperation with our efforts. In parallel with these efforts, the Government of Japan is considering and providing support for Nepal. Yesterday, September 2, emergency relief goods, including tents and blankets, were handed over to the Government of Nepal. In addition, the Government of Japan has decided to dispatch t a team of experts to Nepal as part of the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Team, tomorrow, Friday, September 4, to provide support for the identification of victims. In preparation for the dispatch of the JDR Medical Team, a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assessment team also arrived in Nepal yesterday, Wednesday, September 2. The team will identify the medical needs on the ground, and based on its findings, the Government of Japan will consider necessary assistance. We will continue to spare no effort in providing all necessary assistance to Nepal, a longtime friend of Japan. That concludes my opening remarks.

Reporter: As China, Russia, and North Korea enhance their cooperation, I would like to ask about the significance of strengthening Japan’s bilateral relationship with Mongolia, which shares land borders with China and Russia. Particularly between Japan and China, relations have remained strained since last year. During your meetings, were there any exchanges with the Mongolian side concerning Japan-China relations? Please share to the extent possible. Also, I imagine there will be opportunities for high-level contacts with China on the sidelines of international conferences and other occasions. Could you explain once again how Japan will conduct diplomacy toward China.

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: Mongolia is a country not simply sharing land borders but landlocked between China and Russia. In my meetings with Mongolian side, I stated that Japan supports Mongolia’s “Third Neighbor” policy and intends to promote cooperation under Japan’s updated FOIP. We agreed to advance further cooperation to robustly support Mongolia’s autonomy and strengthen its resilience. Moreover, we had an in-depth discussion on the situation in the Indo-Pacific and concurred on further strengthening cooperation toward peace and stability in the region. The Mongolian side once again expressed high appreciation for Japan’s contributions as a peace-loving nation. As for China, it is an important neighboring country for Japan. Japan’s policy of comprehensively promoting a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests with China and building constructive and stable Japan-China relations remains consistent. At the same time, there are pending issues and challenges between the two countries. Precisely because these issues and challenges exist, I believe it is important to conduct dialogue and maintain communication at all levels at various opportunities. We intend to maintain communication with China and to continue responding calmly and appropriately in consideration of Japan’s national interests.

Reporter: During your visit, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Meredov of Turkmenistan expressed high appreciation for Japan’s contributions to the peace and security of post-war international community. As you mentioned earlier, the Mongolian side also expressed appreciation for the path Japan has followed as a peace-loving nation. Notably, Minister Battsetseg previously issued a joint communiqué with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in June criticizing militarism; I believe these recent remarks serve as a counter-narrative to the criticism regarding the “new militarism” allegedly being pursued by China. How do you assess their statements?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: I was once again reminded of the critical importance of meeting in person and to clarify Japan’s positions and what Japan is actually doing. Both Turkmenistan and Mongolia have long valued Japan’s contributions as a peace-loving nation. In my meetings with both foreign ministers during this visit, I welcomed the fact that they once again expressed their appreciation for Japan’s consistent position. It was not Japan that raised the matter but these two countries that first expressed appreciation for Japan’s contributions to international peace and stability as a peace-loving nation. Moving forward, we intend to make continued efforts to ensure and promote an accurate international understanding on the path Japan has followed as a peace-loving nation for more than 80 years since the end of World War II.

Reporter: Today marks the completion of your overseas visits this summer. Following the NATO Summit and the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ meetings, you traveled to Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and now, Eastern Europe and Central Asia—regions which, partly due to geographical distance, have not necessarily been given priority in Japanese diplomacy. This approach seems to be in line with the goal you set upon assuming office—pursuing “vigorous diplomacy with a broad perspective.” Could you please reflect on your overseas visits so far?

Foreign Minister MOTEGI: Looking back on this summer, I first visited Türkiye for the NATO Summit in July and then attended the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ meetings in the Philippines. Last month, I visited Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the Middle East, and this time, I visited Central Asia, Europe, and Asian countries. In total, I visited 12 countries across a wide range of regions. Beyond that, I held meetings with foreign ministers from neighboring countries and the V4 group, conducting more than 40 meetings in total. In terms of distance traveled, it is more than 100,000 kilometers, equivalent to two and a half times around the globe. I believe all this travel resulted in highly productive discussions. Overall, as I have previously mentioned, I focused on three main objectives, engaging in various discussions, reaffirming cooperative relationships, and achieving tangible results through these overseas visits.

The first focus was the maintenance and strengthening of a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Based on the vision of the updated FOIP, I was able to reaffirm multilayered cooperation with like-minded partners in Europe and North America, and with countries of the Global South.

The second focus was the strengthening of supply-chain resilience, which is an ongoing challenge, as well as bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, including energy security. Considering the severe situation surrounding natural resources and energy, Japan concurred with each country on materializing numerous cooperation projects in the field of economic security.

The third and last point was that I believe, candid communication took place in light of the severe international situation. I believe I was able to lay a stronger foundation for further cooperation by explaining to my counterparts and others about Japan’s positions and concerns regarding various issues facing the international community, including developments in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East. When I visited the Middle East, in both Saudi Arabia and Oman, I fully appreciated the nature of the situation, which involves recurring issues, and I was able to hear profound insights on these matters. Furthermore, during my visit to Eastern Europe, I was able to deepen discussions regarding the situation in Ukraine—specifically the current state of affairs, future outlooks, and how Japan can cooperate in this context. In that regard, I believe this series of overseas visits enabled me to steadily pursue a “vigorous diplomacy with a broad perspective.” Admittedly, the travel was physically demanding, and I may have to reconsider my schedule in the future. Nonetheless, at my meetings with each country, I was able to sense firsthand the high expectations that they all place on Japan. Indeed, they regard Japan as a country that can be trusted and that follows through on its commitments, and I sensed that this is because of this trust that they hold a correspondingly high level of expectation toward Japan. Going forward, I intend to fully leverage the relationships of trust and cooperation we have built with these countries and regions to proactively and actively advance Japan’s diplomacy.