Press Releases
Japan-Italy Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talk
On Sunday, February 7, commencing at around 10:10 p.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a Japan-Italy Foreign Ministers’ telephone talk with H.E. Hon. Paolo Gentiloni, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. Minister Kishida explained that North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, following the fourth nuclear test last month, posed a direct and grave threat to the security of Japan, and undermined the peace and security of Northeast Asia and the international community, and was therefore totally unacceptable. Minister Kishida further explained that Japan had lodged a protest against North Korea. Additionally, Minister Kishida noted that it is important for the international community to send a strong message to North Korea, and that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needs to swiftly adopt a strong resolution.
2. Minister Gentiloni commented that this provocation by North Korea was extremely serious, which was the second to occur within a single month, following the nuclear test in January. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Gentiloni stated that it is important for the UNSC to swiftly adopt a strong resolution, that North Korea’s repeated provocations were totally unacceptable, and that Italy intended to cooperate on this issue.
3. Both Ministers confirmed that Japan and Italy would continue to closely cooperate as the countries holding the G7 Presidency in 2016 and 2017.