Japan-Chile Summit Meeting

On November 17, commencing at 5:25 p.m. (local time; 7:25 p.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who is visiting Bangkok, Thailand to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, held a summit meeting with H. E. Mr. Gabriel Boric Font, President of the Republic of Chile. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his pleasure to hold the first meeting with President Boric, and stated that he condemned the fierce attacks by Russia on cities in Ukraine including Kiev. In this context, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he was very concerned about the information he received on the explosion in Poland, and he was paying close attention to the ongoing investigation. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that the situation in Ukraine concerns the foundation of the international order, and so he would like to closely cooperate with President Boric, who responded that he shared exactly the same view as Prime Minister Kishida. 

2. Prime Minister Kishida stated that he would like to work together with President Boric to deepen bilateral relations as important strategic partners which share fundamental values with 125 years of diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Kishida reiterated Japan’s hope for Chile’s prompt ratification of CPTPP. He also expressed Japan’s intention to cooperate in the field of telecommunications infrastructure and in strengthening supply chain resilience for mineral resources. President Boric explained the status of Chile’s ratification process of CPTPP and expressed his intentions to develop the Japan-Chile relations further by promoting cooperation in a wide range of fields. 

3. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional situations and cooperation in the international arena. Prime Minister Kishida stated that he would like to work together with Chile as the international order based on the rule of law has become more important than ever while the international community experiences rampant moves that outrightly deny the existing international order. Regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the two leaders shared the view that they have a serious concern about Russia’s nuclear threat, which is absolutely unacceptable, let alone the use of such weapons. They confirmed that they would work together to address various issues facing the international community, including the situation in East Asia.