On the instructions of the President of Ukraine and the Head of the Presidential Office, the first round of negotiations with Japan on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, as envisaged by the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, has begun today. The Ukrainian negotiating team was led by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva. The team also included Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi, and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Oleksandr Bevz.
After the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, Japan is the fourth country with which Ukraine has started negotiations.
"The start of bilateral consultations with Japan is not only a confirmation of our strategic partnership, but also a demonstration of global support for Ukraine, which goes far beyond Europe and North America. It is symbolic that Japan started bilateral talks on security guarantees with Ukraine during its Presidency of the Group of Seven," emphasized Ihor Zhovkva.
These bilateral guarantees for Ukraine are a continuation of the significant non-lethal, security, humanitarian and financial assistance that Japan has provided to our country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. An integral part of the security guarantees is also assistance in Ukraine's economic recovery, which will be further discussed during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Japan scheduled for the beginning of next year.
The parties agreed to hold further coordination and approved a plan for bilateral talks until the end of this year.