Japan’s foreign minister arrives in Kyiv on unannounced visit

On January 7, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoko Kamikawa arrived in Ukraine to hold meetings in Kyiv, particularly with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.

This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The department stated that this is Kamikava's first visit to Ukraine since she took office in September.

"During the visit, Minister Kamikawa will once again reiterate to the Ukranian side that Japan's consistent policy of standing with and supporting Ukraine remains unchanged even in the face of current severe international situation.

Minister Kamikawa will also brief the Ukrainian side on the details of relevant assistance and plan of ours," the message said.

In addition, as emphasized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Kamikawa will directly inform the Ukrainian side that Japan will "strongly demonstrate its commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine under the close public-private partnership."

That is why on February 19, the foreign policy department of the eastern country will organize a Japanese-Ukrainian conference on promoting economic reconstruction with the personal participation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal.

Also, during the visit, Kamikawa will hold consultations with partners from the Ukrainian side regarding the expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

In addition, the minister will participate in a "candid discussion with the Ukranian partners on the efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, to which the Ukrainian side attaches great importance, and on Japan's potential for concrete contribution to the process as well."

It is worth noting that as part of the visit, Kamikawa will take part in a ceremony to hand over large-sized power equipment to help prepare for winter.

The head of the Japanese department will visit the place of assistance to women and children. With this, she wants to emphasize that the active participation of women as leaders in reconstruction and peace-building will enable a more sustainable peace to be achieved.

"Throughout all the programs during the visit, Minister Kamikawa is to demonstrate Japan's determination to uphold the international order based on the "rule of law" from the perspective that unilateral changes to the status quo by force, such as Russia's aggression against Ukraine, cannot be accepted," the Japanese Foreign Ministry added in a statement.

Japan's assistance

As noted by the Ministry of Economy, a number of aid projects initiated or financed by Japan have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented for Ukraine.

Earlier, the Ukraine's State Emergency Service was transferred:

• 12 operational pyrotechnic machines, purchased by UNICEF with the support of the Government of Japan,
• 30 trucks (as part of implementing the "Capacity Development Project in Humanitarian Demining and Disposal of Explosive Objects").

During 2022-2023, the UNDP Representative Office in Ukraine, with the support of Japan's government, implemented a project of international technical assistance in the field of humanitarian demining, within the framework of which the State Emergency Service received cars for pyrotechnic groups, equipment, equipment for sappers, etc.

We will remind that Japan plans to allocate €160 million to support economic recovery projects of Ukraine.

Also, in October, Japan and Ukraine started the first round of negotiations on security guarantees. The Office of the President said that Japan has become the fourth country after the USA, Great Britain, and Canada, with which Ukraine has started joint negotiations.

In addition, on December 7, 2023, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan is ready to provide additional funds to support Ukraine, in the amount of about $4.5 billion.