Press Releases

On May 12, commencing at 2:45 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from Mr. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO. The overview is as follows:

1. At the beginning, Foreign Minister Kishida welcomed his reunion with Director-General Graziano da Silva after the Director-General's first visit to Japan in 2013 on the occasion of TICAD V. Foreign Minister Kishida referred to the remarks made by Director-General Graziano da Silva at the Fukushima Sweets Tasting Event held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 10 that FAO does not see any reason to raise concern about the safety of food in Fukushima, and stated that these remarks had been widely reported in Japanese media and contributed to supporting reconstruction and overcoming reputational damage.
2. In response, Director-General Graziano da Silva stated that FAO appreciates the transparent measures taken by the Government of Japan and is convinced that there is no reason for any concern on the safety of food products in Fukushima, and expressed his willingness to make this point clear to those countries where import restrictions are still in place. Director-General Graziano da Silva also appreciated the low obesity rate in Japan compared to other developed countries and hoped to advance collaboration using the knowledge and experience of Japan including its healthy diets.
3. Foreign Minister Kishida also welcomed the appointment of FAO's National Goodwill Ambassadors and requested continued active recruitment of Japanese nationals at FAO. The both parties confirmed their cooperation to further advance the Japan-FAO relationship.