Press Releases
Japan-France Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talk
June 14, 2022
On June 14, commencing at 4:20 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone talk with H.E. Ms. Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi congratulated Minister Colonna on her appointment as Foreign Minister. He stated that the bilateral cooperation between Japan and France as exceptional partners is extremely important and expressed his intention to work together to further strengthen Japan-France relations in dealing with the challenges in a wide variety of fields including the response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. In response, Minister Colonna expressed her gratitude and stated that she attaches great importance to the relations with Japan and hopes to deepen cooperation with Japan in various fields.
- The two ministers shared the view regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine that unilateral changes to the status quo by force is not acceptable anywhere in the world. Minister Colonna appreciated Japan’s strong commitment in response to Russia’s aggression and the two ministers confirmed the importance of continuing the sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine through close collaboration of international community including the G7. The two ministers also confirmed that they would support the vulnerable countries facing food crisis.
- The two ministers shared the view that the security of Europe and Indo-Pacific region is indivisible and Minister Hayashi appreciated the leadership of France in enhancing EU’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The two ministers confirmed that they would promote concrete cooperation through a range of consultations including the Comprehensive Maritime Dialogue and the Indo-Pacific Working Group in order to realize the bilateral cooperation in a multi-layered manner.
- The two ministers welcomed the recent substantial deepening of bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense and confirmed that they would continue promoting their collaboration in this field. The two ministers also exchanged views on regional issues in East Asia and affirmed that they would continue to closely work together in dealing with North Korea, including on its nuclear and missile issues such as the series of ballistic missile launches and the abductions issue.