Canada and Japan share a proud tradition of democracy, pluralism and a staunch commitment to the rules-based international order. As two G7 countries in the Indo-Pacific, we continue to build on our longstanding friendship and partnership.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with her Japanese counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa, on April 18 on the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Minister Joly congratulated her counterpart for successfully hosting this year's G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Ministers reaffirmed the historic ties between Canada and Japan, anchored in a rich history of cooperation and a shared desire to promote greater peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The Ministers underlined their commitment to promoting a free, open, rules-based international order, rooted in international law and free from coercion. They discussed joint priorities under Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and Japan's new Free and Open Indo-Pacific plan. In this regard, the Ministers were pleased by concrete progress regarding the implementation of the Canada-Japan Action Plan, which identifies six areas of cooperation and will benefit both countries, advancing priorities of common interests in the region. Both sides emphasized the importance of bilateral commercial ties and their potential to contribute to prosperity and economic security gains. They agreed to continue to closely collaborate on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and at the World Trade Organization.
The Ministers discussed the importance of maintaining regional peace, resilience and security and reaffirmed their objections to unilateral actions that undermine regional stability. Reiterating both countries' commitment to global peace and security, the ministers agreed to work together- and with other partners-to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's war of aggression.
The Ministers expressed strong condemnation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) for its continued missile launches, including the most recent launches of ballistic missiles, and recommitted to supporting international efforts to constrain the regime's provocative actions. On this point, Canada and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the multinational effort to help monitor United Nations sanctions against North Korea, welcoming the recent extension of Canadian Armed Forces' Operation NEON until April 2026.
