Press Releases
Japan-Norway Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
May 10, 2018
On May 10, commencing at 7:30 p.m. for approximately 70 minutes, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a Foreign Minister’s meeting over dinner with H.E. Ms. Ine Eriksen Soreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the begining, Minister Kono welcomed Minister Soreide’s visit to Japan and stated that he would like to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields with Norway, an important partner sharing fundamental values such as the rule of law, and both countries are peace-loving maritime nations. In response, Minister Soreide stated that Japan and Norway have maintained longstanding friendly relations and share fundamental values such as the rules-based international order and free trade, which the two countries have strongly supported. Minister Soreide also stated that Japan was an extremely important partner in Asia in promoting initiatives for peace and stability.
- The two Ministers shared the view that they would advance cooperation on common challenges, including the promotion of free trade and investment and cooperation in the fields of whaling, the Arctic and initiatives for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), based on the Japan-Norway Summit Meeting held in February 2018.
- Furthermore, the two Ministers welcomed the holding of the recent Inter-Korean Summit as a positive development for the comprehensive resolution of outstanding issues of concern regarding North Korea, and shared the view that it was important for North Korea to take concrete actions for the dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.
- In addition, the two Ministers had an exchange of views on regional affairs.