Press Releases
Video Message from Foreign Minister MOTEGI at the "ASEAN Future Forum 2026"
June 10, 2026
Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, delivered a video message on the occasion of “ASEAN Future Forum 2026” being held on June 9th and 10th (hosted by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam) in Hanoi, the capital of Viet Nam. The outline of the message is as follows.
- The world is currently undergoing profound structural changes. Against this backdrop, ASEAN, located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, is playing an increasingly important role. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045, adopted by ASEAN last year, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), which serves as a key pillar for realizing this, represent important visions for ensuring the prosperity and stability of the region. Japan will provide its full support for these efforts of ASEAN.
- Furthermore, Japan and ASEAN have affirmed that the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and the AOIP share fundamental principles such as "openness," "transparency," and "inclusivity."
- Last month, Ms. TAKAICHI Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan, visited Hanoi, the host city of this forum, and announced Japan’s updated FOIP, which is marking its 10th anniversary since its inception, while upholding these fundamental principles I have just mentioned. In short, the key point of this update is that, amid an increasingly severe international environment, it is essential for countries to acquire “resilience” and the capability to have the freedom to decide for themselves in order to maintain and reinforce a free and open international order. To this end, Japan will work hand in hand with countries and regions across all fields, including economic, social and security domains, to provide necessary support and cooperation.
- It is most encouraging that the Government of Vietnam has expressed its strong support for this FOIP, and I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my sincere gratitude in this regard.
- I look forward to seeing Japan and Vietnam, as well as Japan and ASEAN, who have built a relationship as “Trusted Partners” with “heart-to-heart” ties for over half a century, come together to shape the future of this region. I sincerely hope that the discussions at today’s forum will serve as a valuable contribution toward this endeavor.