Ratas thanked Japan for its strong support to Ukraine

President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas met the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida in Tokyo today and thanked him for Japan’s strong support for Ukraine.

Ratas qualified Japan as one of Estonia’s key partners in the Asian and Pacific region, and one with whom we share the same values of respecting human rights and the principles of the rule of law. “In the current geopolitical situation, it is important for like-minded countries to band together. I thanked Japan for condemning Russia’s aggression, for imposing sanctions on Russia, and for strongly supporting Ukraine,” he said.

Ratas and Kishida also discussed the excellent relations between Estonia and Japan, and emphasised the need to develop these even further. “In bilateral relations, we are the most keen to enhance cooperation in digital and cyber solutions, which is an integral part of the image we have of Japan in Estonia. We are seeing opportunities for strengthening the cooperation between the Estonian and Japanese companies as well as governments. It is also vital to boost the cooperation between Japan and the European Union,” Ratas said.

The President of the Riigikogu also expressed his condolences to the Prime Minister of Japan for the loss of the former head of government Shinzo Abe. Abe became Japan’s first head of government to visit Estonia in 2018.

On Tuesday, Ratas will attend the state funeral ceremony for former Prime Minister Abe at the Nippon Budokan Arena. During the course of the visit, Ratas will meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hiroyuki Hosoda, as well as his colleagues from Romania, Czechia, and Slovenia. On Monday evening, Ratas will meet with members of the Estonian community at the Estonian Embassy.

Source: Parliament of Estonia