Press Releases
Japan-France Vice Ministers’ Meeting
January 15, 2026
On January 15, in Tokyo, Mr. FUNAKOSHI Takehiro, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with Ms. Anne-Marie Descôtes, Secretary General, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic. The meeting commenced at 11:20 a.m., lasted for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, and included a working lunch. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
- The two sides confirmed that Japan and France will strengthen bilateral relations in a wide range of fields, such as security and defense, economic and industrial fields including economic security, and cultural exchange, as well as cooperation to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law. The two sides also shared the view to further strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen the resilience of the supply chain of critical minerals.
- The two sides also exchanged views on a wide range of issues such as regional issues, including the situation in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, as well as cooperation on global issues. The two sides confirmed that Japan and France will further strengthen their ties through bilateral cooperation and discussions in international arena, including under France's G7 presidency this year.