Press Releases
Japan-Commonwealth of Dominica Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
December 13, 2024
On December 13, commencing at 6:30 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with Hon. Vince Henderson, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy of the Commonwealth of Dominica, who is visiting Japan to attend the Eighth Japan-CARICOM Ministerial-Level Conference. The overview is as follows.
- At the outset, Minister Iwaya welcomed the visit to Japan by Minister Henderson on the occasion of the Eighth Japan-CARICOM Ministerial-Level Conference scheduled on December 14. As co-chair, Minister Iwaya looked forward to working with Minister Henderson for holding a successful Ministerial-Level Conference.
- Minister Iwaya noted on Japan’s provision of support over the past decade towards overcoming the vulnerabilities particular to small island states and sustainable development, in line with the three pillars of Japan’s CARICOM policy. In addition, he stated that Japan contributed approximately 2.1 million dollars through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to support the development of disaster prevention systems.
- Furthermore, Minister Iwaya conveyed that Japan plans to provide training aimed at increasing the income of smallholder farmers. He also expressed his intention to contribute to the Commonwealth of Dominica and other countries in the region to overcome vulnerabilities and achieve sustainable development. In response, Minister Henderson expressed his appreciation for such cooperation from Japan.
- The two ministers confirmed the further strengthening of Japan-CARICOM relations and Japan-Commonwealth of Dominica bilateral relations. The two ministers also shared a view on the importance of considering values and principles such as freedom, democracy, and rule of law and building up various dialogues to lead the world toward cooperation from division.
(Reference)Basic data of the Commonwealth of Dominica
The Commonwealth of Dominica covers an area of approximately 750 square kilometers (about the same size as Amami-Oshima Island), and has a population of approximately 70,000 people (World Bank, 2022) and a gross national income (GNI) per capita of 8,392 U.S. dollars (World Bank, 2022).