Japan-Seychelles Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

On August 24, commencing at 3:30 p.m. (for approximately 15 minutes), Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Louis Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Seychelles. The overview is as follows.

At the outset, Minister Kamikawa expressed her expectations for further development of bilateral relations through the upgrading of the Embassy of Japan in Seychelles in January this year, and congratulated Seychelles on its appointment as the Chair of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). Minister Kamikawa also stated that strengthening connectivity, which Seychelles emphasizes as the IOC chair country, is an important theme of this TICAD Ministerial Meeting and is also important from the perspective of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP), which Japan is promoting. She then conveyed her intention to work together with Seychelles as a common maritime nation. In response, Minister Radegonde expressed his gratitude for the support in human resource development and other areas, referring to the favorable bilateral relations.
Minister Kamikawa continued by referring to the efforts of the two countries in maritime security, including friendship training and support for capacity building of maritime law enforcement agencies. In response, Minister Radegonde expressed gratitude for Japan’s cooperation to date, and the two ministers concurred on the recognition that a free and open international order based on the rule of law is essential and they will continue to work together.
The two ministers confirmed that Japan-Seychelles relations will be further developed towards TICAD9 in the coming year.
The two ministers exchanged views on international cooperation in such areas as Security Council reform, the situation in Ukraine, the situation in North Korea, including the abductions issue.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.