We bring to your attention the key messages of the speakers during the opening of the IV Ukraine-Japan Forum “Special Global Partnership. Ukraine and Japan in the context of Russian war”.
Alyona Getmanchuk, Director, New Europe Center
Japan is unique country with which opening one door you actually open two: one is to Asia, the other one is to the G7. During the two years of the Big War, this country proved that it is the most natural ally of Ukraine in Asia, and during last year’s G7 presidency – that it is also a reliable partner of Ukraine within the Group of Seven.
Japan does not need to be explained once again: investing in the security of Ukraine is also investing in the security of Japan, because none of the world leaders has so clearly formulated the connection between the aggression of the Russian Federation and the potential aggression of China, as Prime Minister Kishida in his already famous phrase did: Ukraine today – maybe East Asia tomorrow.
This is not a European war, no matter how someone tries to present it on some continents. The fact that North Korea and Iran are actively helping the Russian Federation in this war indicates that this cannot be exclusively a European war. This is a war in Europe, but with global consequences.
There is still something to work on – from the content of the partnership (from a special global partnership it should reach the level of strategic one) to strengthening Japan’s practical contribution to the victory of Ukraine, and not only to the future reconstruction. Here we are talking about financial support from Tokyo, which especially helped us out earlier this year, and the provision of certain types of weapons to Ukraine through Japan’s partner countries, and obtaining Tokyo’s consent to confiscate frozen Russian assets etc.
Kuninori Matsuda, Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine
If you look back at these two years, in this war, completely unnecessary, you can see one positive moment, which is that Japan and Ukraine have rediscovered each other and relations have become much closer than ever in the past. Today, ties between countries can be called a “special global partnership” in many areas, the most important of which is now security.
Security in Europe cannot be separated from security in East Asia and beyond the Asia-Pacific region. North Korea is actively helping Russia with the supply of ammunition and missiles. And if we come up with a system by which we can stop this aggression and restore justice in this war, there will not be many other countries that would surely follow and could follow the example of Russia. So I strongly believe that national security should be the first issue that Ukraine and Japan should solve together.
By investing in Ukraine and diversifying our trade relations, we are primarily helping Ukraine, but at the same time it will bring dividends to Europe and countries beyond, including East Asia and Japan. So when we help Ukraine, we also help Japan.
Japan and Ukraine are countries that respect rule of law, democracy, freedom of expression and international law and order.
Japan has one basic position, which is that we help Ukraine and want to punish Russia and do it through sanctions, which will intensify and continue as long as necessary. We will never move away from solidarity with Ukraine.
Thanks to Japan’s close cooperation with the EU and NATO, Tokyo will be closely involved in everything related to Europe. Ukraine should be accepted into these organizations.
Sergiy Korsunsky, Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan
This year was truly unprecedented in terms of Ukrainian-Japanese relations. We are talking about the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Kyiv, the historic visit of the President of Ukraine to the G7 summit, which was saturated with important decisions made there, two visits of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan to Ukraine, the allocation of additional aid to Kyiv in the amount of $2.5 billion and a conference to promote the post-war reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine in Tokyo. The latter was visited by an unprecedented delegation of Ukraine. In particular, in addition to government officials, more than 100 representatives of Ukrainian business took part.
There is already a discussion on specific projects. 56 documents of different levels on cooperation between Ukraine and Japan were signed.
We are very grateful to the Japanese side for the beginning of the implementation of real projects. The latter are currently within the framework of technical assistance, so far point, but they are important. Because the infrastructure, unfortunately, is attacked daily, it must be restored, people must be returned, it is necessary to create normal conditions for their life and work. But in the future, we are talking about very serious projects. The Japanese side has opened the door for business.
Global partnership means not only bilateral dialogue, but also cooperation at a higher level. Japan supports and participates in our efforts to implement the Formula of Peace, to create a new concept of security for both Ukraine and Europe, and, accordingly, for the whole world.
Despite the fact that, unfortunately, there are problems in the world, Japan is so clearly in its position that there is not a single “Ukraine fatigue”, which some people write and talk about, and what is happening in Europe. There is no “fatigue” in Tokyo, there is no decrease in attention, it just has a different shape, a different level.
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of Presidential Office of Ukraine, Diplomatic Adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
For more than two years of open aggression, Japan continues to provide huge amounts of non-lethal aid – for the first time in the country’s post-war history. Traditionally, Japan remains the leader in financial assistance to Ukraine – 8.6 billion US dollars from February 2022.
Japan is a leader in its region and one of the leaders in the world in imposing sanctions against Russia – 23 packages. Here I would also like Japan, by its example, to inspire other countries of the Asia-Pacific region to extend the sanctions policy against Russia in these countries and actively join the introduction of sanctions against the aggressor.
Another important event that took place during Japan’s G7 presidency in 2023 was the signing of the G7 Joint Declaration on the sidelines of the Vilnius NATO Summit. The document laid the foundation for the process of signing security agreements with allies. Japan is no exception. Negotiations continue and in the near future the world will see the result.
Despite the completion of Japan’s presidency in the G7, this country continues to use all tools to support our state. The extremely successful Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine, which recently took place in Tokyo, is a vivid confirmation of this.
Today, Ukraine is creating a new security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic region, it is impossible to talk about security in Europe without Ukraine.
Significant is Japan’s role in the implementation of the Formula of Peace of the President of Ukraine, in particular its leadership in the first paragraph on nuclear safety. Japan clearly opposes the fact that the aggressor country is blackmailing the whole world either by using nuclear weapons or by seizing the largest Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Europe.
More about Forum and speakers` messages is here.
Video recording of the Forum is available in Ukrainian and in English.
Mediapartner – Ukrinform.
