Japan-Maldives Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

August 28, 2015

  1. On August 28, commencing at 5:15 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a foreign ministers’ meeting with Hon. Ms. Dunya Maumoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Republic of Maldives, who is visiting Japan to attend the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo: WAW! 2015. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

    1. At the beginning, Minister Kishida welcomed Minister Maumoon’s visit to Japan and her participation in WAW! 2015, and explained that he hopes to use the opening of the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Maldives in January next year and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations in 2017 as opportunities for forming a closer bilateral relationship. In response, Minister Maumoon expressed her gratitude for Japan’s support for the development of the Maldives thus far, and welcomed the contribution that the opening of the embassy will make to further strengthening the bilateral relationship.

    2. Minister Kishida expressed his expectation that democracy will be established in the Maldives, and explained that the Legislation for Peace and Security puts Japan’s “Proactive Contribution to Peace” based on the principle of international cooperation into practice. In response, Minister Maumoon reaffirmed the Government of the Maldives’ commitment to democratization, and expressed support for Japan’s Proactive Contribution to Peace.

    3. Additionally, the two foreign ministers shared the view that as two Asian maritime nations, Japan and the Maldives will deepen their dialogue on maritime issues, and will strengthen cooperation in the field of climate change.