Press Releases
Japan-EU Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Meeting
December 3, 2024
On December 3, commencing at 7:00 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone meeting with H.E. Ms. Kaja Kallas, newly appointed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission. The overview of the talk is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Iwaya congratulated High Representative Kallas on her assumption of office and expressed his desire to work with her in a wide range of areas, including security to take Japan-EU relations to new heights.
- Both sides shared the view that Japan and the EU will concretise the Security and Defence Partnership, announced at the recently held first Japan-EU Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue.
- Both sides shared their recognition that the security of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable. They shared the further importance of cooperation among like-minded countries including Japan and the EU on issues such as Russia's aggression against Ukraine, policies toward North Korea including on its nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue, the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, challenges in the Indo-Pacific region such as situations in the East and South China Seas, and the situation in the Middle East. Both sides affirmed that they closely work together between Japan and the EU.