The Japanese Prime Minister began a tour of Europe and North America on Monday in Paris to meet his counterparts from other G7 countries, of which Japan has just taken over the rotating presidency for a year. This visit was an opportunity for Fumio Kishida and Emmanuel Macron to demonstrate their desire to strengthen the partnership between their two countries in terms of security in the Asia-Pacific region.
“As unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Sea intensify and the security environment is increasingly tense, we wish to continue to promote cooperation with France, a nation of Pacific,” said Fumio Kishida, in an allusion to China, referring in particular to joint military exercises.
New initiatives “to fight against climate change”
“France is a leading partner in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific space”, insisted the Japanese Prime Minister before a working dinner at the Elysée Palace, also welcoming bilateral cooperation in the automobile industry (Renault Alliance -Nissan-Mitsubishi), nuclear power, renewable energies or civil aviation.
Emmanuel Macron, for his part, insisted on a common desire to “build new partnerships”, in addition to those already existing, and mentioned new “initiatives necessary to fight against climate change”.
France is also interested in cooperation in the field of armaments while Japan has carried out a major revision of its defense strategy and greatly increased its military spending, notes the Elysée. The two countries are also working on joint development projects in Asia-Pacific, such as in Fiji.
A visit to the construction site of Notre-Dame Cathedral
Fumio Kishida also underlined the “determination” of the Japanese presidency of the G7 to “unite to continue to strengthen the sanctions against Russia” and to support Ukraine. “Japan can count on our unwavering support in the face of violations of international law by Pyongyang,” noted Emmanuel Macron.
The Elysée tenant also invited his guest to visit the construction site of Notre-Dame Cathedral, whose fire in 2019 sparked a wave of emotion around the world, especially in Japan, a first for a chef. state and foreign government. “I had promised him, when he came to Paris, to be able to show him the progress of the work and to wink at what had affected the Japanese a lot at the time”. The Head of State also recalled the timetable for the reopening of the cathedral at the end of 2024, which he had set in 2019 and which had then been considered very ambitious.