Japan-Ukraine Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Outline)

During a visit to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba held a meeting with Mr. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, for about 25 minutes from 4:30 p.m. on September 27 (local time; 5.30 a.m. on September 28 Japan time). The outline of the meeting follows.

1. Bilateral relations

(1) Minister Gemba said that he was pleased to see increased mutual visits of dignitaries this year that marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Ukraine and that Japan hoped to take this opportunity to further deepen bilateral relations.
(2) Minister Gryshchenko said that Ukraine hoped to use the anniversary as an opportunity to develop bilateral relations in every possible area and that Ukraine was expecting to see more investments from Japan in the economic sector in particular.

2. Cooperation on Aftermath Response to Accidents at Nuclear Power Stationss

(1) Minister Gemba said that negotiations for the “Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Ukraine concerning Cooperation to Advance Aftermath Response to Accidents at Nuclear Power Stations” signed in April had been concluded at an unusual speed thanks in part to Ukraine’s efforts, that it was delightful that the Japan-Ukraine Joint Cooperation Committee held its first meeting in Tokyo in July based on the agreement, facilitating cooperation in specific terms, and that Japan would like to continue working jointly on the common challenge of aftermath response to nuclear power accidents. (See Reference)
(2) Minister Gryshchenko said that Ukraine, as a country that experienced the Chernobyl accident, hoped to jointly address difficulties faced by Japan, that Ukraine would spare no effort to support Japan from now on and that Ukraine would like to continue close dialogue between the two countries.

3. Others

Minister Gemba briefed his Ukrainian counterpart about Japan’s position on the present Japan-China relations.

(Reference) Japan-Ukraine Cooperation to Advance Aftermath Response to Accidents at Nuclear Power Stations

Japan and Ukraine, the country that experienced the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, concluded in May 2012 the “Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Ukraine concerning Cooperation to Advance Aftermath Response to Accidents at Nuclear Power Stations.” Based on the agreement, the two countries will cooperate for aftermath response to accidents at nuclear power stations by exchanging information, holding seminars and taking other measures. In July 2012, Mr. Volodymyr Kholosha, Chairman of the State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management, visited Japan for the first meeting of the Japan Ukraine Joint Committee for cooperation to advance aftermath response to nuclear power accidents. Topics primarily discussed in the meeting included evacuation areas, strategy for the protection of citizens, monitoring, risk management and academic cooperation. Also, the University of Tokyo is in partnership with the State Space Agency of Ukraine and other related organizations to promote the university’s project to jointly monitor developments in Fukushima and Chernobyl with a miniature satellite developed by the university.