On 12 October 2022, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, took part on the third meeting of the Baltic States – Japan cooperation dialogue in Tallinn, Estonia.
The Baltic States’ officials commended the ongoing cooperation with Japan since the previous cooperation dialogue held in Riga in 2019. They were unanimous that under the current geopolitical conditions when both the Baltic and the Indo-Pacific regions are facing similar threats, it was of paramount importance to strengthen the political and economic dialogue between like-minded countries.
The partners in the talks exchanged views on the developments in Ukraine and the ways for their countries to cooperate in order to offer assistance to the war-torn country and ensure that Russia is held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated. Opportunities for cooperation in international organisations were also discussed, especially for the strengthening of a rules-based order and safeguarding shared values.
Andris Pelšs underlined the opportunities offered by the EU-Japan cooperation dialogue and he welcomed the results of the EU-Japan Summit held in May 2022, with its Joint Statement not only speaking a powerful language against Russia’s aggression against Ukraine but also confirming determination to further strengthen cooperation on energy security, climate and economic issues and achieving an agreement on the EU-Japan Digital Partnership. This is the first agreement of that kind with a country in Asia. In the context of future cooperation between the Baltic States and Japan, the State Secretary highlighted the potential of the Three Seas Initiative, media literacy and strategic communication, as well as stating openness to Japan’s further initiatives in the field of energy security.
Japan was represented in the dialogue by the Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yuumi Yoshikawa, Estonia – by the Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, and Lithuania – by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Egidijus Meilūnas.
The next Baltic States – Japan cooperation dialogue will be organised in 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.