President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, who arrived in our country on a visit.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he was pleased to welcome to Kyiv a truly powerful defender of the international order and a longtime friend of Ukraine.
"It is symbolic that the Prime Minister is making his first visit to Ukraine today, on the day of the anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Ukrainian territories. And he started it from Bucha. We appreciate it very much," the Head of State said at the meeting with media representatives after the negotiations with Fumio Kishida.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of stepping up global leadership right now to protect the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and international security in general.
"The ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the international order has provoked threats and risks that the world has not witnessed in decades. And we are working with our partners to prevent different nations in different parts of the world from having to suffer the brutal consequences of Russian aggression for decades to come, such as destabilization of international relations, social chaos and even provoked mass starvation," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Fumio Kishida for significantly supporting Ukraine in security, economic, political, sanctions and humanitarian aspects.
During the meeting in Kyiv, the parties discussed Russia's attempts to intensify its aggressive actions. In this context, the parties discussed Ukraine's current security needs and agreed to continue the dialogue on expanding security cooperation.
The interlocutors also paid attention to further sanction pressure on Russia for its aggression.
"Japan has applied 18 packages of sanctions against Russian aggression, and new sanction packages should continue this path of restoring global security and reducing the potential of Russian terror. Sanctions must be faster than Russia's ability to adapt to them," the President of Ukraine is convinced.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked Japan for its readiness to cooperate to implement the points of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which is the only comprehensive and realistic plan to stop Russian aggression and restore the full force of the UN Charter, returning security to Ukraine, the whole of Europe and the world.
In addition, as the Head of State noted, our country highly appreciates Japan's support for global efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Fumio Kishida discussed cooperation in the framework of Japan's G7 Presidency. In particular, the President of Ukraine noted that he had accepted the invitation of the Prime Minister of Japan to participate in an online format in the G7 summit scheduled for May in Hiroshima.
During the negotiations, the parties specifically focused on Japan's involvement in Ukraine's reconstruction, which offers great opportunities for cooperation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that since February 24, 2022, Japan's assistance in the field of reconstruction had reached more than $7 billion.
"Japan's leadership in the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan and in the post-war recovery of Ukraine will definitely create new directions for the development of both our and Japanese society, both the Ukrainian and Japanese economies. Today, I suggested that Japan focus on supporting our medical institutions and on restoring certain sectors of the economy. These are the automotive industry, green transformation, in particular the production of hydrogen equipment and lithium batteries, where Japan is one of the technological leaders," the Head of State said.
According to him, Ukraine is also interested in Japan's support for humanitarian demining.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that following the talks, a Joint Statement on Special Global Partnership between the two countries was signed.
"This document reflects both our values, which we defend together, and our aspirations, which are yet to be realized," he said.
The President emphasized that Ukraine and Japan had achieved the most meaningful relations in more than 30 years, yet this was only the foundation for what could be achieved in the future.
"It is obvious that the partnership between Ukraine and Japan strengthens global security and brings closer the time when we will finally be able to restore peace and guarantee the stability of life for Ukrainians and all the peoples of the world," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Japan underscored solidarity with Ukraine. He praised the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people as they defend their homeland and freedom.
"Japan will continue to support Ukraine until peace returns to its beautiful land," said Fumio Kishida.
The Prime Minister of Japan noted that Russia's aggression undermined all the foundations of the world order and violated international law.
According to Fumio Kishida, Japan is cooperating with Ukraine in imposing sanctions on Russia.
The Prime Minister emphasized that since last year, his country had provided humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine, including support for the energy sector, agriculture, and demining. In addition, Japan plans to provide funds for the supply of non-lethal weapons through the NATO Trust Fund.
