Prime Minister Kishida held a summit meeting with President Zelensky in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, from the evening of June 21 to June 22, Japan time.
Here are the details of the joint statement issued following the meeting.
Decision to upgrade bilateral relations
The joint statement said the two leaders confirmed their unwavering solidarity at the meeting and decided to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a "special global partnership."
They condemned in the strongest terms Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an illegal, unjustified and gratuitous aggression, condemned in the strongest terms the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, and shared the recognition that the invasion also poses a direct threat to the security and peace of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
"Ukraine's Sovereignty: Full Recovery Essential for World Peace"
On that basis, Russia must immediately cease hostilities, immediately and unconditionally withdraw all troops and equipment from all of Ukraine, and shared the view that the full restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders is essential for world peace, stability, and security.
"Russia's threat of using nuclear weapons, an unacceptable threat"
Furthermore, they shared the recognition that it is essential to maintain and strengthen sanctions against Russia, emphasized that there should be no punishment for war crimes and other crimes, and condemned Russia's threat to the use of nuclear weapons as a serious and unacceptable threat to the peace and security of the international community.
Bilateral Trade and Economic Relations and Potential for Expansion of Infrastructure Development
Regarding bilateral relations, he confirmed that Japan and Ukraine share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, and recognized the great potential to further expand the partnership in a wide range of fields, including trade and economic relations and infrastructure development.
The two leaders expressed their intention to deepen cooperation in the international community
In light of Japan's non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, the two leaders also expressed their intention to deepen cooperation in the international community, emphasized the importance of promoting a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific," peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and the immediate resolution of the abductions issue by North Korea, and strongly condemned North Korea's nuclear and missile development.