Japan-New Zealand Summit Meeting (Summary)
July 12, 2023
[Provisional translation]
On July 12, commencing at 1:40 p.m. (local time; July 12 at 7:40 p.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who was visiting Lithuania to attend the NATO Summit, held a summit meeting with the Rt Hon. Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he was glad to hold his first bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Hipkins and was pleased to see the strengthening of the “Strategic Cooperative Partnership” between the two countries through cooperation in the areas of security and clean energy.
- The leaders concurred on the importance of maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law. They also confirmed that Japan and New Zealand will work together toward realization of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific ".
- The two leaders exchanged views on regional issues and concurred on the importance of coordination among like-minded countries in the Pacific Island countries. The leaders concurred that the ICBM-class ballistic missile launch by North Korea threatens the peace and security of the international community, and that it is necessary for the international community to respond to such a provocation in a resolute manner.
- Regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water, Prime Minister Kishida explained Japan’s efforts to date and that the IAEA’s Comprehensive Report confirmed the safety of the ALPS treated water from a scientific perspective.
- Regarding the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the leaders shared the view that maintaining the CPTPP’s high-standards is of the utmost importance. They also reaffirmed that when considering whether aspirant economies can meet the CPTPP’s high standards, they will take into account their experience on their trade commitments.
