Japan’s foreign minister strengthens Polish ties, affirms support for Ukraine

• Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa visited Poland to strengthen ties with the NATO nation, which shares a border with Ukraine.
• The visit to Poland followed an unannounced trip to Ukraine, where Kamikawa pledged Japan’s ongoing support in the face of Russia’s invasion.
• Japan has pledged $37 million to the NATO trust fund for providing Ukraine with drone detection systems.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with top officials in Poland on Monday to strengthen ties with the NATO nation, which borders Ukraine.

Kamikawa conferred with Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in Warsaw and placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She also was scheduled to meet President Andrzej Duda.

She began her visit to Poland on Saturday, but interrupted it to make an unannounced visit to Ukraine, where she pledged Japan’s continued support for the country as it tries to defend itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion. Japan announced during her visit that it would contribute $37 million to the NATO trust fund to provide Ukraine with drone detection systems.

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In Warsaw, Kamikawa told reporters during a short news briefing that she went to Ukraine to show Japan’s “enduring solidarity with Ukraine” and praised Poland for its role in helping Ukrainian refugees.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, left, shakes hands with Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in Warsaw, Poland, on Jan. 8, 2024. Kamikawa paid a visit to Poland in an attempt to strengthen ties with the NATO nation which borders Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

“Japan will continue to work with Poland to end Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as soon as possible and to bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine,” she said, in comments translated by an interpreter.

Both she and Sikorski said at a news conference that Japan and Poland are strong strategic partners who intend to strengthen their ties further.

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Kamikawa said that the two countries are united by their values and principles, and noted that their talks also focused on the situation in East Asia.

Sikorski said that he expressed condolences to the minister over an earthquake on the Noto Peninsula that left at least 168 dead and dozens missing and a deadly collision of a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft.

“I have already expressed our condolences to the minister for the tragic earthquake on the Noto Peninsula and for the airplane accident, while congratulating her on such a smooth evacuation, thanks to which so many human lives were saved. I assure you of our solidarity with Japan in these difficult times,” Sikorski said.