ATHENS – Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will travel to Tokyo early next week (April 12-13), where he is expected to meet with his Japanese counterpart Hayasi Yoshimasa, members of the Japan-Greece Friendship Parliamentary Group, which is chaired by the former Foreign Minister Taro Kono, as well as members of the Greek business community.

According to diplomatic sources, the contacts are expected to focus on the two countries’ common commitment to the principles of international law, with particular emphasis on the Law of the Sea, respect for the independence and territorial integrity of all states, and freedom of navigation. As they noted, Japan is primarily an island country, which bases its economy on maritime trade (imports of raw materials and energy, exports of finished products).

According to the same sources, Ukraine is also expected to be at the centre of the developments, as Japan has identified with the decisions of the European Union and the G-7 regarding the Russian invasion, having imposed sanctions on Russia and having – in fact – broken its relations with this country. They added that Japan, taking a clear stance on Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis, has effectively ended decades of tradition of foreign policy introversion and is now taking on a more active role on the international stage.

It is noted that the Japanese Foreign Minister participated in the recent NATO Foreign Ministers’ Summit.

Cooperation in international organisations, especially in the UN and the International Maritime Organisation, is expected to be on the agenda of Dendias’s contacts.

Japan has applied for a non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in the period 2023-24 and supports the Greek candidacy for the period 2025-26.

Bilateral relations, especially in the fields of economy, trade and tourism, will also be examined and a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries is expected to be signed soon.

Finally, they underlined that the visit marks the opening of Greece toward emerging regional and global powers, which embrace the same values as our country, such as India and Japan.