Japan’s Foreign Minister has announced an upcoming visit to Mongolia, describing it as one of the countries with which Tokyo plans to strengthen cooperation amid a rapidly changing international environment.
According to CentralAsia, from September 1 to 4, Japan’s Foreign Minister will visit four countries: Turkmenistan, Slovakia, Austria and Mongolia.
According to the Japanese minister, growing international tensions have made coordination and cooperation with like-minded countries, as well as with nations of the Global South, increasingly important.
“Against the backdrop of increasingly challenging international circumstances, the importance of coordination and cooperation with like-minded countries, as well as with countries of the Global South, is growing,” Motegi said.
He noted that his trip would cover a broad range of issues, including energy, the economy and geopolitics. At the same time, Japan intends to take into account the specific needs and circumstances of each country.
“There are various important issues, such as energy, the economy and geopolitical significance, but I will approach these meetings while taking into account Japan’s strengths as well as the needs of each individual country,” the minister said.
Slovakia will receive particular attention during the trip. There, Motegi will participate in a foreign ministers’ meeting in the “V4 + Japan” format together with the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, all members of the Visegrad Group.
“I attended the previous meeting five years ago, so this occasion holds deep significance for me,” Japan’s foreign minister said.
Concluding his statement, Motegi emphasized Tokyo’s intention to consistently strengthen relations with all the countries and regions included in his tour.
“I will continue to work steadily to strengthen cooperation with each country and region,” the minister said.
The visit to Mongolia is part of Japan’s broader diplomatic efforts to expand cooperation with countries in Central and Eastern Asia and strengthen ties with partners that Tokyo considers like-minded.
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