Press Releases
State Minister for Foreign Affairs YAMADA’s attendance at the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting
August 25, 2023
From August 23 to 26, Mr. YAMADA Kenji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, traveled to attend the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting in Jaipur, hosted by H.E. Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, this year’s G20 Presidency. An overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Discussions were held at the meeting under the three themes proposed by India, the G20 Presidency: (1) multilateral trade for growth and prosperity, (2) inclusive and resilient trade, and (3) technology for paperless trading. A lively exchange of views was held on the role of trade and investment in sustainable growth and the importance of WTO reform. In addition, Japan and numerous other countries condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and expressed serious concern that the situation is affecting the global economy, including trade, especially the economy in developing countries.
- An overview of the statements made at the meeting by State Minister Yamada are as follows.
- The WTO is at the core of the rules-based free and fair trading system, and all member countries should work towards WTO reform. In addition to reforming the dispute settlement system, we should promote establishing multilateral rules and advancing plurilateral initiatives including the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI), as well as strengthen the deliberative function.
- Cooperation between countries is necessary to achieve outcomes at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February next year. It is important for each country to accelerate domestic procedures regarding the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies that Japan accepted last month, to achieve its entry into force by MC13.
- It is necessary that each country comply with international rules set by the WTO and not implement coercive or non-market measures, in order to create resilient and reliable supply chains.
- With regards to the JSIs, State Minister Yamada welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the text of the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development last month and expressed his hope that the Agreement will be incorporated into the WTO agreement at the earliest opportunity. State Minister Yamada also stated that he looks forward to the early entry into force of the Disciplines on Services Domestic Regulation, for which negotiations have concluded.
- Paperless trading and the full implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation are important to reduce trade costs.
- Japan has been providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to strengthen the customs capacity of each country in cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and other organizations to facilitate trade. Japan will continue to provide effective support in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.
- At the meeting on the 24th, State Minister Yamada strongly condemned North Korea’s launch using ballistic missile technology conducted in the early morning of August 24 that violated series of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Regarding the Chinese government's announcement that it would suspend import of all marine products from Japan, State Minister Yamada also stated that the Government of Japan has been providing explanations based on scientific evidence in a transparent manner to the international community regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea, and that the Government of Japan would never allow the discharge that would adversely affect human health and the marine environment. State Minister Yamada also explained that a wide range of countries in many regions have expressed their support and appreciation for the IAEA Comprehensive Report, which concluded that the discharge is consistent with international safety standards and that Japan’s sincere efforts have been well understood and supported by many countries. He stated that the decision by China, which is not based on scientific evidence, is totally unacceptable, and Japan urges China to immediately repeal its measures.
- State Minister Yamada also held bilateral meetings with H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates; H.E. Mr. Mustafa Tuzcu, Deputy Minister of Trade, Republic of Türkiye; Mr. Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy International Trade Representative of China; Mr. Oliver Becht, Minister Delegate in Charge of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French National Abroad, to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic; H.E. Dr. H.C.Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade, Republic of Indonesia; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO; Ms. Pamela Rosemarie Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC; and Mr. Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, during his stay. State Minister Yamada also spoke individually on the margins with a number of participating ministers, including those from the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, India, and Brazil.
(Reference1) G20 Members, Invited Countries and International Organizations
- G20 members: Japan, India (Presidency), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, EU
- Invited countries: Singapore, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Egypt, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Nigeria
- International organizations: World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), The World Bank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
(Reference2) Attachment PDF
