On Thursday, Japanese diplomats held meetings with officials from India, Pakistan, South Korea, Russia, and Qatar, and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA).
India
Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Yoshihide Suga met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and reiterated that both countries have “long advocated the importance of rule-based order and the rule of law, to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together, along with the United States (US) and Australia, to strengthen the connectivity in the region and form an international order based on the rule of law.
Suga hoped that the Varanasi International Cooperation and Convention Centre, built and inaugurated in July in Varanasi, India with the help of Japanese grant aid, would be utilised as a “proof of friendship” between the two countries.
Furthermore, PM Suga mentioned potential areas of future cooperation such as “establishing safe and reliable 5G network, submarine cables, strengthening of industrial competitiveness and supply chain, realising realistic energy transitions, accepting workers from India under the system of Specified Skilled Worker (SSW), enhancing the exchanges of IT professionals, [and the] development of India’s North Eastern Region.”
South Korea
Japanese Foreign Minister (FM) Toshimitsu Motegi held a Japan-South Korea Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-Yong.
Motegi pointed out that North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile activities, including the latest ballistic missile launches, pose a threat to the peace and security of both countries, the region, and the international community at large.
Moreover, both sides underscored the importance of reinforcing diplomatic efforts, fully implementing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, strengthening regional deterrence, and advancing multilateral cooperation with the US to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
Pakistan
Motegi held a meeting with Pakistani FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during which the two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan.
Motegi appreciated Pakistan’s cooperation, including accepting a Self-Defence Force aircraft that enabled a Japanese national and Afghan staff of the Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) office to depart from Afghanistan safely. He requested continued support in this regard.
Qureshi responded that the Pakistani government would “spare no effort” to evacuate people.
Russia
In a meeting, Russian FM Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov and the Japanese FM discussed bilateral relations, including “the issue of concluding a peace treaty, joint economic activities on the Four Northern Islands, the Four-Island Exchange Program and other programs, the economy, people-to-people exchanges, and security.”
Motegi requested the Russian government’s support regarding issues with North Korea and talked about the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
Qatar
During his meeting with Qatari Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Motegi discussed the situation in Afghanistan.
The duo agreed on the importance of preventing Afghanistan from becoming “a hotbed of terrorism and a source of instability.” They decided to monitor the actions of the Taliban continuously, especially in light of “ensuring inclusive political processes and the protection of human rights, including those of women.”
UN Secretary-General
Motegi thanked UN Secretary-General António Guterres for his video message concerning the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. He also congratulated Guterres on his reappointment. In response, the Secretary-General welcomed the FM’s participation in the UN General Assembly.
The duo also exchanged views on North Korea, Afghanistan, and the “emerging challenges” highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda.”
Japan Holds Meetings With Five Nations, UN Sec-Gen on Sidelines of UNGA
Japanese diplomats held meetings with officials from India, Pakistan, South Korea, Russia, Qatar, and the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the sidelines of the 76th UNGA.
September 24, 2021
SOURCE: KYODO