Press Releases
Courtesy call on Minister for Foreign Affairs MOTEGI by NATO Permanent Representatives
April 16, 2026
On April 16, commencing at 5:15 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from NATO Permanent Representatives and others who are visiting Japan. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows:
- Minister MOTEGI welcomed the visit to Japan by NATO Permanent Representatives and others for the first time since December 2023 and, amid a rapidly changing international situation, including in the Middle East and Ukraine, pointed out that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable and that cooperation with allies and like-minded countries is growing in importance. He also stated that this visit is a timely one for strengthening Japan-NATO cooperation and expressed the hope that Permanent Representatives would further deepen their understanding for the severe security environment surrounding Japan and the Indo-Pacific.
- In response, Permanent Representatives and others likewise recognized that the importance of cooperation between Japan and NATO is increasing and expressed their intention to continue to further develop the cooperative relationship and to build up concrete cooperation.
- 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.