Meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and President Michel of the European Council

[Provisional translation]

 

On June 27, commencing at 9:00 a.m. (local time; same day, 4:00 p.m. Japan time) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, met with H.E. Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, while visiting Germany to attend the G7 Elmau Summit. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida stated that the 28th Japan-European Union (EU) Summit held in May was an opportunity to exchange views in a meaningful manner and to issue a substantive joint statement. Prime Minister Kishida also said that he appreciates the visit to Japan by EU leaders in the midst of the Ukraine crisis as a sign of their emphasis on the strategic partnership with Japan based on shared values. He also expressed his gratitude for the visit to Hiroshima by President Michel, stressing that his speech at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was excellent. In response, President Michel expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by Prime Minister Kishida to ensure the Japan-EU Summit, while also stating that he was strongly impressed by his visit to Hiroshima. President Michel also expressed his desire to deepen cooperation between Japan and the EU, as well as his intention to cooperate for the success of the G7 Hiroshima Summit.
2. The two leaders concurred that the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific are inseparable from each other and that they will continue to closely work together in responding to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and efforts toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” to ensure the protection of the international order based on the rule of law.
3. The two leaders also discussed the affairs in the Indo-Pacific region and concurred that any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force is unacceptable. Furthermore, President Michel expressed his consistent support for Japan in addressing North Korea, including the abductions issue, and the two leaders shared their view that Japan-EU would work closely to this end.