Japan – Meeting between Catherine Colonna and her Japanese counterpart (18 April 2023)

Following the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Karuizawa, Nagano, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna met with her Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, in Tokyo.

The Minister warmly thanked Mr. Hayashi for the Japanese presidency’s extraordinary hospitality and the high caliber of discussions, which underscored our countries’ shared views on leading international challenges.

She applauded the vitality of our two countries’ exceptional partnership, which is marking its 10th anniversary this year. She stressed the ambitiousness of the new roadmap for bilateral cooperation between France and Japan for 2023-2027 in the areas of political and economic relations and person-to-person exchanges, as well as security and defense.

The two ministers fully agreed on the need to promote respect for an international order based on the rule of law. They agreed on the importance of continuing to support Ukraine against the Russian aggression and of working together to keep the Indo-Pacific region free, open and inclusive. With regard to Taiwan, the Minister reaffirmed France’s steadfast support for peace and stability in the Strait and our opposition to any unilateral changes in the status quo.