Japan – Conversation between Catherine Colonna and her counterpart (14 Jun. 2022)

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Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna spoke today by telephone with Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi of Japan.

The two ministers expressed their desire to reinforce the exceptional partnership shared by France and Japan by developing new, constructive cooperation opportunities for the future. They agreed to increase both bilateral and multilateral dialogue between their two countries, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, and welcomed plans for concrete projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The two ministers discussed the issue of security and defense cooperation and reaffirmed their desire to agree on a long-term legal framework that would facilitate interactions between our armed forces in the field.

The minister applauded Japan’s contributions to the international response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and praised their excellent bilateral coordination in response to the consequences of the conflict. The two ministers agreed that the international community must respond firmly to North Korea’s pursuit of a ballistic missile program and a nuclear program in violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.