Prime Minister Ishiba’s Remarks at the Joint Press Occasion with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of Portugal

I am truly delighted to welcome Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of Portugal today.

Japan and Portugal are partners sharing common values and principles. There are many Japanese words of Portuguese origin, such as konpeitō (sugar candy), tempura, and karuta (playing cards). Even the word koppu (glass/cup) is said to come from Portuguese. Japan and Portugal enjoy a history of friendship and cooperation spanning more than 480 years.

It is wonderful to see that, on the occasion of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan this year, the business, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries have been becoming more active. At today’s meeting, we affirmed our shared recognition that close cooperation between Japan and Portugal is becoming increasingly important, to a degree never seen before, in the context of the international community facing a severe security environment and the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific being inseparable.

We discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations, regional affairs, and cooperation in the international community, and confirmed that we will build up our bilateral relations further. On this occasion, we agreed to make our bilateral relationship a “Strategic Partnership,” and I believe it was a significant outcome that we released a Joint Statement that looks ahead to our future cooperation.

Under this “Strategic Partnership,” we will further deepen our bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including politics, the economy, culture, and defense and security, with a view to maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law.

Approximately 120 Japanese companies are operating in Portugal, with business cooperation advancing in such fields as renewable energy and infrastructure. We look forward to further development in trade and investment between our two countries.

There are many countries around the world where Portuguese is spoken, including in South America and Africa. At the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held recently in Yokohama, I met with leaders from 34 countries and was reminded that many African leaders spoke Portuguese. My recent meeting with the President of Timor-Leste also rekindled that awareness, as did my meeting with the President* of Angola. Japan is determined to work together with Portugal in promoting the economic and social development of countries in the Portuguese-speaking world.

Our two countries will continue to work together as strategic partners in pursuit of global peace and stability. I thank you most sincerely.

*Note: Here, Prime Minister Ishiba said “Prime Minister,” but he intended to say “President.” The transcript has been edited to show the intended meaning.