Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Japan Andriy Sibiga and Takeshi Iwai
During their meeting in Kyiv, the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Japan, Andriy Sibiga and Takeshi Iwai, agreed to further strengthen sanctions pressure on Russia, liberalise the visa regime between the countries, and deepen cooperation in the framework of Ukraine’s recovery.
Sibiga said this at a joint briefing with his Japanese counterpart.
Sanctions pressure and support for Ukraine
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed that Japan has already imposed 26 packages of sanctions against individuals and legal entities in Russia and Belarus.
“We agreed to increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor state. We will also cooperate to close the ways of circumventing the restrictions,” Sibiga stressed.
Takeshi Iwaya reaffirmed Japan’s readiness to support Ukraine by all available means, stressing the importance of maintaining international pressure on the Kremlin.
Visa regime and economic cooperation
The diplomats also agreed to continue consultations on visa facilitation between the two countries, which will help deepen cultural and economic ties.
The Japanese minister added that he is looking forward to the visit of Ukraine’s First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko to Tokyo in December this year. This visit will help develop economic cooperation and attract Japanese companies to rebuild Ukraine.
One of the key outcomes of the talks was the announcement of joint work on organising an international conference on mine action in Ukraine to be held in autumn 2024 at the initiative of Japan.
“Mine action is one of the priorities for Ukraine’s recovery. Japan’s contribution in this area is extremely important,” said Sibiga.
Takeshi Iwai stressed the firmness of Japan’s position on supporting Ukraine’s recovery through the involvement of the public and private sectors.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy thanked the Japanese minister for his visit, which was one of the first after the formation of the new government in Japan.
“This meeting demonstrates the deep solidarity between Ukraine and Japan, our peoples who share common values and aspirations for peace and stability,” Sibiga concluded.
