Press Releases
Meeting on the Novel Coronavirus Disease among Foreign Ministers of Interested Countries, Hosted by the United States
On May 11, commencing at around 8 p.m. for approximately an hour, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended a meeting on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among foreign ministers of interested countries, hosted by the United States. The overview of the meeting is as follows. The meeting was called for and hosted by the United States and held via video teleconference. In addition to Minister Motegi, the meeting was also attended by The Honorable Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State of the United States; Senator The Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia; H.E. Mr. Ernesto Henrique Fraga Araújo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil; H.E. Mr. Yisrael Katz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel; H.E. Dr S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India; and H.E. Ms. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.
1. This meeting discussed the need for coordination and cooperation among relevant countries in relation to COVID-19 as well as measures to prevent the spread of infections.
2. Minister Motegi first stated that it is impossible for any single country to tackle the current situation alone and pointed out the growing importance of coordination among the international community, particularly among relevant countries. Furthermore, he stated that, although the foremost priority at present is to contain the spread of infections, it is also important to tackle various challenges, bearing in mind the state of the international order after the situation winds down.
3. From the perspective of preventing the spread of infectious diseases, Minister Motegi then emphasized the importance of a review on the response of the international community to the current situation, as well as the need for each country to share information and insights in a free, transparent, and timely manner. In addition, he highlighted the need to provide assistance from a mid- to long-term perspective to developing countries with vulnerable healthcare systems, and received the support of the participating countries.
4. Through the holding of this meeting, the participants confirmed that they will continue to coordinate closely in their response to COVID-19.