This afternoon, I welcomed the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, to Tokyo and held a summit meeting with him.
In this memorial year marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Montenegro, I am delighted that President Milatovic has made his first visit to Japan.
From my side, I conveyed that Montenegro, as a NATO member state, is an important partner sharing values and principles, and that Japan will continue to support Montenegro’s nation-building under the “Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative” announced by former Prime Minister Abe and will continue to promote its EU accession.
From President Milatovic’s side, he conveyed that the two countries share values such as democracy and the rule of law, expressed gratitude for Japan’s support through the “Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative,” and informed me that they have decided to open an embassy in Japan toward further development of bilateral relations.
In addition, from my side, I conveyed my intention to further strengthen cooperation both bilaterally and on the international stage, given the close linkage between security in Europe and the Atlantic and security in the Indo-Pacific, and we agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations, starting with the economic field.
Furthermore, we exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific situation, including responses to North Korea encompassing nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue, as well as the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, and agreed to closely collaborate in addressing regional situations as well.
: Sanae Takaichi
Prime Minister of Japan