Press Releases

Japan-Benin Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

June 20, 2018
Japan-Benin Foreign Ministers’ Meeting(Shakehands)
Japan-Benin Foreign Ministers’ Meeting(Meeting)
Japan-Benin Foreign Ministers’ Meeting(Joint Communique)

On June 20, commencing at around 7:30 p.m. for approximately two hours, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Aurélien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Republic of Benin, who was making a working visit to Japan upon invitation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Minister Kono. The overview is as follows.

  1. Minister Kono welcomed Minister Agbenonci to Japan and stated that Japan attaches importance to its relationship with Benin, which shares the universal values such as freedom, democracy and human rights, and supports its domestic efforts to realize sustainable economic and social development". In response, Minister Agbenonci expressed gratitude and expectation for the contributions Japan is making to the development of Africa, including Benin, and to the peace and stability of the international community, while also expressing expectation to the investment of Japanese private sector to Benin. The two Ministers confirmed that they will cooperate to make the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) a success, and will further strengthen the two countries’ amicable cooperative relationship.
  2. The two ministers exchanged views on regional affairs. They expressed their high hope that North Korea will take concrete steps to achieve the common goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, confirmed in the joint statement issued at the United States-North Korea summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Furthermore, Minister Kono appreciated that the republic of Benin co-sponsored the UN Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
  3. Minister Agbenonci announced the support for Japan’s permanent seat in the Security Council, its candidature for the UN Security Council non-permanent member election in 2022 and the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, for all of which Minister Kono expressed gratitude.
  4. In addition, the two ministers shared the intention to promote the UNSC reform. They also exchanged views on cooperation in the international arena including maritime security in areas such as the Gulf of Guinea.
  5. Following the meeting, a signing ceremony of Exchange of Notes for food assistance was held and a Japan-Benin Foreign Ministers’ Joint CommuniquéJapanese(PDF)別ウィンドウで開く/ French(PDF)別ウィンドウで開く) was issued.

Back to Press Releases