Hiroshima, Japan, May 19 (EFE).- Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held bilateral talks with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Friday.
In a 30-minute meeting in Hiroshima, a few hours before the start of the G7 leaders’ summit to be held until Sunday, Kishida and Trudeau agreed to continue strengthening cooperation between their countries in security, trade and technological supplies.
Both leaders “exchanged their views on the situation in East Asia” and “concurred that they will continue close coordination in addressing issues related to China and responding to North Korea, including the nuclear and missiles issue and the abductions issue,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The prime ministers welcomed the “steady progress” on implementing an action plan to contribute to a “free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the ministry added.
Kishida and Trudeau also discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine during their talks and confirmed that the G7 “will continue to coordinate closely to impose sanctions against Russia and provide support for Ukraine.”
“The two leaders concurred that at the G7 Hiroshima Summit, Japan and Canada will work together to demonstrate to the world the G7’s unwavering solidarity in addressing the various challenges facing the international community,” the ministry said.
Regarding matters of bilateral interest, Kishida and Trudeau had a “candid discussion” on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), also known as TPP-11, of which they are a part, and agreed to accelerate “cooperation on battery supply chain and industrial science and technology.”
The Japanese prime minister also thanked Trudeau for Canada’s support in the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Sudan following the outbreak of clashes there between the army and paramilitary forces.
Fumio also had a 40-minute meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in which the two leaders agreed to continue to impose “strict sanctions” on Russia and provide “strong support for Ukraine.”
“The two leaders confirmed their intention to convey to the world the G7’s determination to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to demonstrate unwavering solidarity with Ukraine at the G7 Hiroshima Summit,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a readout of the meeting.
Kishida and Scholz also agreed to coordinate closely on China and North Korea, including its nuclear and missiles program and the matter of the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang in the 1980s and that remains unresolved.
The two leaders also stressed the importance of cooperation with countries of the Global South, some of whom are also invited to the summit, and affirmed their commitment to work closely to this end, the ministry said.
The summit of the Group of Seven (G7), comprising Japan, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, will be held between May 19 and 21 in Hiroshima. EFE
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