Working Lunch between Prime Minister Kishida and President von der Leyen of the European Commission (Summary)
On September 23, commencing at 11:45 a.m. local time (on September 24 at 00:45 a.m. JST), for approximately 60 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, who was visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, held a working lunch with H.E. Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The overview of the working lunch is as follows.
At the outset, President von der Leyen expressed her sympathy to the damage of the recent heavy rain in Ishikawa Prefecture and her condolences to the victims of the heavy rain. In response, Prime Minister Kishida expressed gratitude for her warm words.
Prime Minister Kishida stated that, through a series of meetings including the Japan-EU Summit and the G7 Summit, the Japan-EU relationship has become stronger than ever. He also expressed his congratulations once again on President von der Leyen's approval as the next President of the European Commission by the European Parliament. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that he was encouraged by the political guidelines for the next European Commission, which stipulated that the Indo-Pacific has become a decisive region for the world’s future, and that the EU will deepen its engagement with partners in the region. In response, President von der Leyen stated that Prime Minister Kishida was the best counterpart, and expressed her gratitude for Prime Minister Kishida's contributions in the contexts of both bilaterally and multilaterally.
The two leaders exchanged views on the Japan-EU relationship and regional situations such as the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and the Middle East. President von der Leyen expressed high appreciation for Japan's support to Ukraine.
Lastly, President von der Leyen once again expressed her gratitude for the development of the Japan-EU relationship under the Kishida administration. Both leaders concurred on strengthening the Japan-EU relationship continuously, based upon what both leaders have established.
