Japan and Ukraine on Wednesday agreed to work closely to strengthen bilateral relations in areas including security cooperation and Ukraine’s future, during talks in Tokyo between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha.
“Japan would never waver in its consistent position of standing with Ukraine,” Motegi told Sybiha, according to a statement from Japan’s Foreign Ministry.
Motegi stressed “the importance of the principled view that attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force should not be tolerated, and that in order to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, Japan would continue to promote support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia in coordination with the international community and would also continue to work on public-private partnership assistance for recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine.”
He announced Japan’s decision to help restore the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The two ministers also discussed the Indo-Pacific situation, their policies on North Korea, and cooperation in the international arena, and signed an agreement on a grant for the Human Resource Development Scholarship program.
Sybiha said in a social media post that Japan’s “extraordinary expertise” in reconstruction would be “incredibly valuable” for Ukraine’s future, while Ukraine’s “unique combat experience” could make an important contribution to “the security of Japan and the region.”
“Ukraine is ready to actively develop security cooperation with Japan, particularly in the cutting-edge field of unmanned technologies,” he said.
Sybiha said cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang “poses a direct challenge to stability in both Europe and Asia,” adding that the two sides discussed “how to jointly counter” these evolving global threats.
Sybiha also thanked Japan for Tokyo’s “historic financial, humanitarian, and technical assistance totaling over $20 billion, spanning crucial sectors like demining, medicine, agriculture, and education.”
Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia and Russian individuals and entities since Moscow launched its war on Ukraine in 2022.
Before arriving in Japan, Sybiha visited South Korea, where he held talks with senior officials.