Japan-Belarus Relations
Japan-Belarus Relations (Basic Data)
Basic Data
Diplomatic Relations:
- Established on January 26, 1992
- Embassy of Japan opened in January 1993
- Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Japan opened in June 1995
Number of Japanese Residents:
- 66 (as of October 2025)
Number of Belarusian Residents in Japan:
- 444 (as of December 2025)
Trade with Japan (2025) (Ministry of Finance of Japan):
- Exports from Japan: 2,164 million yen
(motorcycles, machinery (material handling equipment, etc.), medical equipment and supplies (ultrasound diagnostic equipment, CT scan, etc.)) - Imports to Japan: 696 million yen (aluminum alloys, laser equipment, radiation measuring instruments, textile products, dairy products, etc.)
Japan’s Development Assistance:
Belasus was severely affected by the Accident in Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on April 26, 1986. Japan provides the grant aid for projects to cope with the consequences of the accident, for example, improvement of medical equipment.
Belarus (ODA by Region: Europe)
- Assistance for Denuclearization 6.38 million US dollars (cumulative total from 1993 to 2015)
- Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects: 4.87 million US dollars (cumulative total as of March 31, 2026)
- Technical Cooperation (acceptance of researchers and students, dispatch of specialists): 3.83 million US dollars (cumulative total as of 2022)
Cultural Relations:
After the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, private exchanges related to nuclear disaster became active. For example, children from Sendai and Fukushima visited regularly Belarus for summer camp by Belarusian initiative. However, such exchanges have stopped due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. Although Sendai and Minsk have been sister cities since 1973, exchanges have been suspended since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In July 2024, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) resumed in Minsk after a pause for five years.
VIP Visits
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2002. 8 | Kenshirou Matsunami, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2009. 10 | Yoshinori Ohno, Chairperson of the Japan-Belarus Parliamentary Friendship League |
| 2015. 5 | Minoru Kiuchi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2016. 4 | Miki Yamada, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2016. 7 | Kaneshige Wakamatsu, State Minister for Reconstruction |
| 2016. 7 | Delegation of the Japan-Belarus Parliamentary Friendship League (the Head of the Delegation: Genichiro Sata, a member of the House of Representatives) |
| 2018. 8 | Delegation of the Special Committee on Consumer Affairs of the House of Representatives (Head of the Delegation, Yoshitaka Sakurada, Chairperson of the Special Committee) |
| 2018. 8 | Hiromichi Watanabe, Chairperson of the Japan-Belarus Parliamentary Friendship League |
| 2019. 6 | Kentaro Sonoura, Special Advisor to Prime Minister |
| 2019. 6 | Hiromichi Watanabe, Minister for Reconstruction |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1992. 2 | First Deputy Chairperson of the Supreme Council, H.E. Mr. Kuznetsov |
| 1998. 2 | President, H.E. Mr. Lukashenko (unofficial visit) |
| 1999. 6 | Head of Administration of the President, H.E. Mr. Myasnikovich |
| 2001. 4 | Delegation of the Council of the Republic (the Head of the Delegation: Dr. Avlasevich) |
| 2003. 10 | Advisor to the President, Dr. Tsepkalo |
| 2012. 12 | Minister of Emergency Situations, H.E. Mr. Vashchenko |
| 2018. 5 | Minister of Health, H.E. Mr. Malashko |
| 2019. 12 | Minister of Emergency Situations, H.E. Mr. Vashchenko |
Bilateral Treaties and Arrangements:
- October, 1996:
- Confirmation of the succession of the treaties and agreements concluded between Japan and the Soviet Union
- December, 2012:
- Conclusion of the "Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of Belarus concerning Cooperation to Advance Aftermath Response to Accidents at Nuclear Power Stations".