“I am very glad that we are signing Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership. With this declaration, our countries significantly improve their strategic relations, and we open up a field for close cooperation in various policy areas: politics, economics, climate, digital education, culture, and tourism. And this text, which we will sign, will be our “compass”, a guideline for the comprehensive development of our bilateral cooperation in the coming years,” he said. Kyriakos Mitsotakis after his meeting with Japanese his colleague Fumio Kishidaat the Prime Minister’s Residence in Tokyo.

The two leaders signed Joint Declaration on Strategic Cooperation between Greece and Japan, which makes bilateral relations strategic and strengthens cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest. After their personal meeting, a meeting was held in the presence of two delegations and an official dinner was held.

“We can give new impetus to our relationship at the highest level after almost two decades. Greece and Japan are two ancient civilizations that have made valuable global cultural contributions. They are simultaneously two modern states, two strong democracies facing similar challenges and agreeing on critical global and regional issues,” Mr. Mitsotakis said.

The Prime Minister noted that during the discussion, great opportunities in the field of economic cooperation were identified, “considering that Japan is the third largest economy in the world, and Greece is becoming a reliable and very stable investment destination and trading partner.”

At the same time, he said he had briefed his Japanese counterpart on the progress of the Greek economy, which grew by almost 5.6% in 2022, almost double the average forecast for the eurozone, and is a very attractive destination for foreign direct investment. investment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“We had the opportunity to appreciate our excellent maritime cooperation as two of the world’s leading shipping powers. And since next year our two countries will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we are planning to celebrate the Year of Culture and Tourism with a series of events to be organized in various cities in Greece and Japan,” added Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who said they exchanged views and regarding Russian aggression and further steps to be taken by the international community.

“I think our discussions are much more timely given the adoption of Japan’s new national security strategy, which we welcome, and of course the Japanese G-7 Presidency this year. As a member of NATO, as a member of the European Union, we support the strengthening of relations between Japan and NATO, Japan and the European Union. I believe that this is a mutually beneficial relationship, Mr. Prime Minister. With regard to the war in Ukraine, from the very beginning we fully supported the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We are absolutely determined to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. We have an additional reason for delicacy in the Ukrainian issue, Mr. Prime Minister: members of the Greek community of Mariupol were among the first civilian casualties in the very first days of the war,” the Prime Minister said.

And he stressed: “Of course, Greece, like Japan, both countries are staunch supporters of basic principles, such as the principle of non-use of violence and inviolability of borders. International disputes must be resolved on the basis of international law, and we cannot accept a unilateral change in the status quo through the use of force. We firmly believe in a rules-based international order in which international law is respected and revisionist agendas are unacceptable. We will have the opportunity to further discuss regional issues during dinner.”

He also said that the situation that Japan faced in connection with North Korea’s missile provocations was completely unacceptable. “We agreed that we remain steadfast in our condemnation of these actions. I will also have the opportunity to brief the Prime Minister on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the unfortunate inflammatory rhetoric and provocative actions of our neighbor Turkey, which are undermining regional stability and security. We will always keep, Mr. Prime Minister, the dialogue box open. But as a sovereign nation, we cannot tolerate any threat to our sovereignty and sovereign rights,” he stressed.

Mr. Mitsotakis also said that his visit to Japan gives new impetus to bilateral relations. “We have concluded and signed important agreements. The most important strengthening of our economic ties will undoubtedly be an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. I think it is realistic to expect that this agreement will be signed before the end of the year. And I believe that today we have laid the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation between like-minded strategists. I am confident that Greece and Japan will continue to work together to fulfill the aspirations of our peoples for lasting peace and prosperity. Tomorrow we will have another series of meetings with important businessmen and sales representatives. I will have the pleasure of addressing the students of the University of Tokyo. Once again, I would like to thank you, Mr Prime Minister, for the very warm welcome. I would like to invite you to visit Greece and see firsthand the transformation of our country from a lagging behind in the European Union to a protagonist, and to continue promoting this important strategic partnership. Once again, on behalf of our delegation, thank you very much for the warm welcome,” he added.

Agreements completed

According to government sources, the agreements concluded during Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s visit to Japan, which were said to “expand the bilateral legal framework and strengthen cooperation with the world’s third economic power,” are as follows:

• Memorandum of cooperation in the field of tourism,
• Agreement between the General Directorate of Defense Equipment and Investment of the Ministry of National Defense and the relevant body of ATLA Japan,
• Memorandum of Understanding between Hellenic Export Credit Company and related Japanese company Nippon Export & Investment Insurance (NEXI) (signed on Tuesday),
• Memorandum of Understanding between Enterprise Greece and the relevant body of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) (signed on Tuesday),
• Reaching agreement on the text of the Double Taxation Convention.

Mitsotaki invitation for Japanese businessmen

The positive outlook for the Greek economy and the reasons why it should be invested in was reviewed earlier by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis before the leaders of Japan’s national enterprise and group organization Keidanren in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by a Greek delegation, was received by Director Toshiaki Higashihara (Chairman and CEO of Hitachi) and spoke with members of Keidanren.

^{With information from APE-MPE}