Japan-Vatican Summit Meeting (Summary)
On June 30, commencing at 3:40 p.m. for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. ISHIBA Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, held a Japan-Vatican Summit Meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro PAROLIN, Secretary of State of the Holy See, who is visiting Japan to participate in the National Day Event of EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. An overview of the meeting is as follows.
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At the outset, Prime Minister Ishiba welcomed Secretary of State Parolin on the occasion of his visit to Japan, expressing his deepest condolences on the demise of His Holiness Pope Francis and extended his warmest congratulations on the inauguration of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. He noted that Japan and the Vatican have enjoyed a long and fruitful friendship since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1942. In response, Cardinal Parolin expressed his wish to strengthen cooperation between the Vatican and Japan.
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The two leaders also confirmed that the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan presents a valuable opportunity to further strengthen mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two countries.
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The two leaders exchanged views on various regional situations, including the Middle East, East Asia, such as their policies toward North Korea, including on the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abduction issue, and Ukraine. They concurred to maintain close collaboration between Japan and the Vatican in addressing global challenges.
