“The pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine made us understand that we should not become too dependent on a specific country, as our nuclear industries could be affected,” says Scholz.
This Saturday, Japan and Germany reaffirmed their intention to continue applying sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine and to maintain support for Kiev, in a political summit at the highest level, the EFE agency reported.
The summit between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took place in Tokyo during the latter’s official visit to Japan, accompanied by a large representation of his cabinet, including six ministers, including those of Treasury, Foreign Affairs and Defense.
Kishida expressed the common will to “continue to cooperate in applying sanctions against Russia and providing support to Ukraine to end the invasion of Ukraine as soon as possible,” during a joint press conference after the meeting.
The Japanese head of government said that the two countries “will continue to work together to maintain and reinforce an international order based on rules” in the face of the “historic crossroads” in which the international community finds itself due to the war in Ukraine.
Kishida also said that Japan will “follow with interest” the evolution of the investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin as “suspected responsible” for the illegal deportation of ukrainians. children and their transfer from the occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia, which constitutes a war crime.
In addition to coordinating the response to the Ukrainian situation, another of the main topics on the meeting’s agenda was to strengthen cooperation in defense and economic security, through concrete measures such as the provision of mutual logistical assistance between the troops of both countries. . or collaboration in the supply of electrical semiconductors.
Both Japan and Germany are trying to reduce their dependence on imports from China of raw materials and electronic components, which are critical to both countries’ industries.
“The pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine made us understand that we should not become too dependent on a specific country, as our nuclear industries could be seriously affected,” Scholz said at the press conference.
Tokyo also launched a plan to revitalize its domestic semiconductor industry, including creating a next-generation chip-making consortium of leading Japanese and automotive technology companies, as well as expanding cooperation with companies in other countries.
In the same vein, Kishida and Scholz pledged to strengthen their collaboration to achieve a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, referring to the strategy of Washington and Tokyo to contain the geopolitical rise of China in the region.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of May, and cooperation between Berlin and the current Japanese G7 presidency, which replaces Germany.
Source: Observadora
