Press Releases
Exchange of views between Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs FUNAKOSHI and NATO Permanent Representatives
April 16, 2026
On April 16, commencing at 4:30 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. FUNAKOSHI Takehiro, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held an exchange of views with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Permanent Representatives and others who are visiting Japan. The overview is as follows:
- Vice-Minister FUNAKOSHI welcomed the visit to Japan by NATO Permanent Representatives and others and stated his intention to further strengthen cooperation with NATO, a partner that shares fundamental values and strategic interests, and to build up concrete cooperation, under the shared recognition that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is closely linked.
- In response, Permanent Representatives and others expressed the same recognition and stated their intention to further develop positive Japan-NATO relations as well as NATO-IP4 relations.
- The two sides engaged in a frank exchange of views on regional issues, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; challenges in the Indo-Pacific such as those related to China; their policies toward North Korea – including on the nuclear and missile issues, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea as well as the abductions issue; developments in the Middle East, including the situation in Iran.