Press Releases
Japan’s Participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Result)
December 3, 2020
- On December 1 and 2, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held via teleconference. Japan was invited to join a session on the second day as a partner country, and Mr. SHIMOKAWA Makita, Ambassador of Japan to the NATO, attended the meeting.
- In addition to the member countries of NATO and Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Finland, Sweden and the European Union participated in the session, where they discussed the changes in the global power balance, including the situation in Asia, among others. Ambassador Shimokawa read the statement of Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on his behalf. Ambassador Shimokawa stated that the current security environment in East Asia has become increasingly severe due to unilateral attempts to change the status quo, pointing out the situations in the East and South China Seas. He also stated that as we see growing challenges to the rules-based international order, our shared goal should be to nurture a “world ruled by law, not by force,” and that it is most reassuring to have NATO as our partner as Japan strives to advance the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
[Reference] North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO was established by 12 members in 1949 to defend allied nations. The organization has now 30 allies in North America and Europe. Additionally, NATO has partnerships with 40 countries including Japan.