Press Releases
Japan-Poland Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
On May 18, commencing at 5:05 p.m. for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a foreign ministers’ meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with H.E. Mr. Witold Waszyczykowski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
Prior to the foreign ministers’ meeting the two ministers signed the “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Poland” (English (PDF)
/ Japanese (PDF)) which specifies the goals to be implemented in concrete terms for the years 2017 - 2020 in a broad range of fields such as politics, economy, science-technology and culture, based on the strategic partnership relationship that was established between Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and H.E. Mr. Bronisław Komorowski, then President of Poland, in 2015.
1. Bilateral relations
At the beginning, the two ministers welcomed that they held the foreign minister’s meeting on the memorial day, May 18, which marks the 60th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Poland, and signed the “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership” as strategic partners sharing fundamental values.
In addition, the two ministers confirmed that cooperation will be strengthened in a broad range of fields such as politics and economy on the basis of this Action Plan, and shared the view that the two countries will cooperate more closely in order to celebrate the milestone of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2019.
2. Japan-European Union (EU) relations
With regard to cooperations in the energy field, Minister Waszyczykowski expressed strong interests in the various advanced technologies that Japan possesses, such as clean coal technology and high temperature gas-cooled reactors, and the two ministers shared the view that their countries will pursue broad-ranging cooperations in the field of the economy in the future. They also shared the view that tyey will promote cooperations in the V4 plus Japan framework.
The two ministers concurred that it will be important to promptly reach an agreement in principle on the Japan-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Minister Kishida also asked for consideration to Japanese companies in Poland after the Brexit.
3. International affairs
The two ministers exchanged views on the East Asia situation, and shared the view in particular that it is important for the international community as a whole to increase pressure on North Korea, to urge North Korea to completely fulfill the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, and the abductions issue to be promptly resolved. Japan and Poland will continue to discuss these issues closely.