Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu (茂木敏充) and Cyprus Foreign Minister Kombos held talks in Tokyo. They shared a common understanding on positioning Cyprus as an international business hub in the Mediterranean and strengthening cooperation to maintain the maritime order and expand economic ties.
At talks in Tokyo, Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu (茂木敏充) and Cyprus Foreign Minister Kombos shared the view that Cyprus continues to grow rapidly in fields including finance, IT and shipbuilding, strengthening its position as an international business hub in the Mediterranean. The two countries expressed their intention to expand economic and business ties and again expressed their appreciation for Cyprus's assistance with the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Lebanon in early 2024.
The two foreign ministers also emphasised their shared interest, as maritime nations, in maintaining and strengthening the maritime order, and expressed their intention to cooperate closely in promoting the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). Minister Kombos expressed support for international law and multilateralism, and pledged to continue cooperating on the evacuation of Japanese nationals and to support FOIP.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in innovation, science, technology and shipbuilding through a bilateral memorandum of cooperation and the Horizon Europe programme. In the area of regional security, they indicated a policy of continuing to strengthen coordination on developments in the Middle East, North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, and the abduction issue.