Press Releases
Japan-Belgium Foreign Minister’s Meeting
December 5, 2022
On December 5th, commencing at 2:30 p.m., for approximately 35 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ms. Hadja LAHBIB, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium, accompanying Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of the Kingdom of Belgium, who is on an official working visit to Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Hayashi welcomed Foreign Minister Lahbib's visit to Japan and expressed his hope that the visit of the Belgian Economic Mission led by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid would give further impetus to investment and trade between the two countries, including cooperation on offshore wind power, hydrogen fuel, next-generation semiconductors and DX. In response, Minister Lahbib expressed her wish to make the mission's visit to Japan an opportunity to further develop bilateral relations in the economic field.
- The two Ministers confirmed the importance of close collaboration between the two countries, as strategic partners sharing fundamental values, to realize a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and on international affairs, including the situation in Ukraine. They also exchanged views on the situation in North Korea, including the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue, and on China, and confirmed their continued cooperation in the UN and other international fora.