Press Releases
Courtesy call on Foreign Minister IWAYA by Mr. HEIDAR, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)
October 20, 2025
On October 20, at 2:00 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Judge Tomas HEIDAR, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), who is visiting Japan upon the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. HORINOUCHI Hidehisa, Judge of ITLOS, was also present during the courtesy call. The overview is as follows:
- At the outset, Minister IWAYA expressed he was pleased to welcome President HEIDAR and stated that Japan consistently attaches great importance to the “rule of law” at sea.
- Minister IWAYA also stated that the international community needs to work on strengthening the maritime order based on the rule of law within the universal and unified framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as it faces new challenges in the maritime sector. In addition, Minister IWAYA communicated his expectation for ITLOS to further enhance its role as a "guardian" of the maritime order under the leadership of President HEIDAR.
- In response, President HEIDAR expressed his gratitude for Japan's support and contributions to ITLOS. President HEIDAR also stated that he highly appreciates Japan's contribution to the maintenance of the international order based on the rule of law and told that ITLOS will continue to cooperate with Japan.