Press Releases
Meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi and Mr. Le Drian, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, and presentation of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
December 7, 2022
On December 7, commencing at 4:30 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, met with Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, who was visiting Japan, and presented the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Mr. Le Drian. The overview is as follows.
The meeting and the presentation ceremony were attended by the delegation of the Province of Brittany, including the President of the Provincial Council of Brittany, Mr. Chesnais-Girard, who was visiting Japan. Former Foreign Minister Le Drian served as President of the Provincial Council of Brittany between 2004 and 2012 as well as between 2015 and 2017.
- At the beginning of the ceremony, Minister Hayashi presented the Diploma of Decoration and the Order to Mr. Le Drian, expressing his gratitude for his great contribution to the strengthening of bilateral relations between France and Japan over the years and congratulated him on receiving the Decoration. Minister Hayashi also conveyed the congratulations of Prime Minister Kishida, who worked with former Foreign Minister Le Drian when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs. In response, former Foreign Minister Le Drian expressed his gratitude for the Decoration and stated that he would like to continue to contribute to further strengthening the relations with Japan as exceptional partner, and that he would like to work on exchanges at the regional level, including in Brittany.
- During the meeting after the ceremony, Minister Hayashi stated that he continues to attach great importance to bilateral cooperation between France and Japan and that he would like to work closely with France in order to protect the international order based on the rule of law. In response, former Foreign Minister Le Drian stated that he believes that it is important to cooperate in the field of ocean and to reactivate regional exchanges.