Press Releases
Japan-UK Vice Ministers’ Meeting
February 23, 2026
On February 23, commencing at 9:15 p.m. (12.15 p.m. on February 23, local time) for 2 hours, Mr. FUNAKOSHI Takehiro, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a Vice Ministers’ meeting including a working lunch with Sir Oliver Robbins KCMG CB, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
- Building on the visit of The Rt Hon Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Japan, the first by a British Prime Minister in three years, which was highly fruitful and clearly demonstrated the high quality of Japan–UK relations, the two sides confirmed to strengthen bilateral relations in a wide range of areas such as security and defense, economic security and economy. The two sides also confirmed that both countries will work together to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law. The two sides concurred to work together with allies and like-minded countries to further strengthen the critical minerals supply chains.
- The two sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues such as regional issues, including the Indo-Pacific, the situation in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, in addition to bilateral relations. The two sides confirmed that Japan and the UK will further strengthen their ties through bilateral, G7 and international cooperation.