Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister Kamikawa and the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada
October 28, 2023
On October 28th, commencing at 11.35 a.m., for approximately 45 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting in Osaka with the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada. The overview of the meeting is as follows;
- At the outset, Minister Kamikawa welcomed Minister Ng’s visit to Japan. In response, Minister Ng congratulated Minister Kamikawa on her appointment as Foreign Minister and stated that she looks forward to working closely with Minister Kamikawa especially as the same female Ministers. Minister Kamikawa also expressed her hope that the visit by Canada Trade Mission (“Team Canada”) to Japan, led by Minister Ng, will help build momentum and further advance the economic relations between the two countries.
- The two ministers confirmed their commitment to further strengthen their cooperation to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), and welcomed the steady progress on implementing “Japan-Canada Action Plan contributing to a free and open Indo-Pacific region” jointly announed by the two countries in 2022. In particular, they concurred to strengthen cooperation on Woman, Peace and Security (WPS), as is covered in the Action Plan, and to promote cooperation based on Canada's efforts to support women entrepreneurs.
- The two ministers also exchanged their views on further developing bilateral cooperation that contributes to economic security of both countries, including enhancing resilience of supply chains of critical minerals as well as on WTO reform and concurred to work closely together.
- Minister Ng expressed her support on Japan’s position regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea, and the two ministers concurred that, regarding issues such as import restriction measures, calm responses are necessary that are based on scientific evidence. At the end of the meeting, Minister Kamikawa expressed her willingness to cooperate with Canada for the success of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Minister Ng stated that she was personally impressed by the fact that Osaka, which hosted Asia's first World Expo in 1970, will once again host the Expo, and both side confimed that they will cooperate together for its success.