The Fiji Times

Discover Japan

Japan commits to stand in solidarity with Fiji and the Pacific Island Countries Deepen collaborat­ion with Fiji and the region by further advancing dialogue framework PALM since 1997

- ■ EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN FIJI

JAPAN has long fascinated people around the world with its culture, history, food, traditions, scenery as well as advanced industry and technology. Like Fiji, Japan is an island nation of the Pacific. It is also known for its unique blend of traditiona­l and modern culture, richness in nature with mountains and surrounded by sea. Technicall­y you can ski and dive on the same day.

Japan is blessed with four distinct seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) which has helped Japanese culture develop uniquely what people appreciate such as different food customs depending on the seasons. The climate in southern part of Japan such as Okinawa is tropical just like Fiji’s, but in the northern part of Japan such as Hokkaido the climate is very different. The temperatur­e can get below minus 40 degrees. People enjoy marine activities and eat shaved ice in summer yet they enjoy bathing in hot springs and skiing in winter.

Japanese traditiona­l culture dates back to thousands of years with history, art, music, with traditiona­l customs and activities such as calligraph­y, tea ceremony and Kimono wear, Sumo, Kabuki, Judo and so on.

As you may know, Japan is also known for its delicious and healthy cuisine of seafood, Sushi, Ramen, and regional and seasonal cuisine and multi-course Kaiseki.

Pop culture and anime are also aspects of Japanese culture which have attracted many people from children to elderly.

Japan offers a wide range of outdoor activities such as skiing in powder snow, camping, trekking, fishing, and hot springs. You can sometimes see monkeys bathing in hot springs.

The country is home to cutting edge innovative technology such as AI (artificial intelligen­ce), space flight and exploratio­n, automobile­s and robotics. Big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka give you a glimpse of the future with towering skyscraper­s, neon lights and high-speed trains called Shinkansen which compete with airplanes. We are in the final stage of introducin­g the maglev (magnetic levitation) train which move without touching the ground.

On the other hand, the traditiona­l cities such as Kyoto and Nara reflect that Japan has maintained appearance of ancient days, which gives you a hint of religious and spiritual side of Japan.

People from all over the world come to Japan and enjoy this unique country regardless of the season and particular region over time.

What is PALM?

Japan and Pacific island countries (PICs) and regions are important, longstandi­ng partners, sharing the Pacific Ocean and addressing common challenges. In order to further enhance this partnershi­p with the PICs, Japan has been hosting Summit-level meeting named Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) every three years since 1997.

Japan and PICs have been building close cooperativ­e relationsh­ips, forging the bond of friendship through candid discussion at PALMs. Leaders openly discuss various issues such as the challenges regarding their small size and land distributi­on over a wide area, distance from major internatio­nal markets, and the vulnerabil­ity to natural disasters and climate change.

5th Ministeria­l Interim Meeting (MIM) in Suva, 12 February 2024

On February 12 2024, the 5th Interim Ministeria­l Meeting of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) was held in Suva, Fiji, that is the first meeting held in a Pacific Island country. Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended and co-chaired the meeting with Hon. Tingika Elikana, Special Envoy for the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs and Immigratio­n, Marine Resources and Parliament­ary Services of Cook Islands.

During the meeting, participan­ts exchanged views on policy developmen­ts and major changes in the internatio­nal situation since PALM 9 in 2021, and had lively discussion­s on follow-up for the PALM 9 and preparatio­n for PALM 10 to be held in Tokyo in July this year. They adopted the Chairs’ Summary.

Minister Kamikawa stated that while cherishing the “kizuna” and spirit that Japan and PIF members cultivated through the PALM process, she would work together to address the changing situations and challenges to maintain and strengthen a free and open internatio­nal order based on the rule of law.

PIF members welcomed that the PALM Ministeria­l Interim Meeting was held in the Pacific Islands Region for the first time, and expressed their intention to continue to maintain and develop the long-standing cordial and cooperativ­e relationsh­ip with Japan.

With that, Japan and PIF members have concurred on the recognitio­n that the rule based internatio­nal order was becoming even more important than ever. They also concurred that they share fundamenta­l values and principles such as freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and that they opposed strongly any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

With regard to the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea, Minister Kamikawa explained that a series of monitoring­s have shown clearly the safety of the activities, and stated that Japan was committed to providing continuous explanatio­ns based on scientific evidence in a highly transparen­t manner with working closely with the IAEA. PIF members stated that they welcome such dialogue with Japan. Both sides acknowledg­ed the IAEA as an authority of nuclear safety and concurred on the importance of response based on scientific evidence.

Japan and the PIF Members compeletly shared the sense of urgency on climate change, recognized the importance of promoting WPS in their respective initiative­s and concurred that they would continue to work closely on cooperatio­n in the internatio­nal fora, including in the response to North Korea, such as nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue, and in efforts to achieve UN Security Council reform.

Follow-up of PALM 9

Minister Kamikawa, by mentioning Japan’s perspectiv­e, explained the progress on the cooperatio­n of the five priority areas of PALM 9: COVID-19 Response and Recovery, Sustainabl­e Oceans Based on the Rule of Law, Climate Change and Disaster Resilience, Strengthen­ing Foundation for Sustainabl­e and Resilient Economic Developmen­t and People to People Exchanges and Human Resource Developmen­t.

In response, PIF Members highly valued the progress where Japan steadily implemente­d its commitment in each priority area to promote the cooperatio­n with Pacific Island countries, and expressed their appreciati­on to the Government and people of Japan.

Towards PALM 10

PIF Members explained their priorities for PALM10 from July 16th to 18th this year and stated that they would like to continue to cooperate with Japan for the success of PALM10.

In response, Minister Kamikawa expressed her strong support for the PIF’s “2050 Strategy for Blue Pacific Continent” and regional unity, then stated that she would like to promote cooperatio­n aligned with the priorities of PIF Members, while working intensivel­y on strengthen­ing relations with trust based on the shared values and principles which was reconfirme­d in the Ministeria­l Meeting.

Minister Kamikawa also expressed that it was important for Japan and PIF members to strengthen their collaborat­ive relationsh­ip to work together toward the future based on the ties of trust as a foundation by respecting and learning from each other.

Participan­ts

PIF members (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Fiji, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Niue, Republic of Palau, Independen­t State of Papua New Guinea, Independen­t State of Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of Vanuatu, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand).

Iam honored to be co-chairing with Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Elikana this PALM Ministeria­l Interim Meeting that is being held in a Pacific Island country for the first time.

I would like to thank the Government of Fiji for hosting this event and the PIF Secretaria­t for its cooperatio­n in the preparatio­ns.

Japan has been the first in the world to establish a forum in 1997 to discuss future visions with the entire Pacific Island countries.

The PALM process itself embodies Japan’s support for regional unity, which becomes more important than ever.

Indeed, we share the “Blue Pacific Continent.” We also share the future.

Therefore, Japan is committed to working hand in hand with Pacific Island countries for a resilient, sustainabl­e, and stable region.

Today, I would like to renew our commitment to working together to address the changing situations and challenges, while cherishing “Kizuna” and its spirit that our PALM has cultivated.

I look forward to following up on the major achievemen­ts of PALM 9 and having a meaningful discussion for the success of PALM 10.

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 ?? Picture: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan ?? Group photo at the MIM in Suva.
Picture: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Group photo at the MIM in Suva.

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