The Chancellor of the Government Met With the Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Fukuyama
On Thursday, the Chancellor of the Government, Giedrė Balčytytė, met with the Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Fukuyama (Hiroshima Prefecture), Shigehiro Komaru, whom she thanked for his long-standing and multifaceted contribution to the strengthening of Lithuania-Japan relations. They also discussed implementation of the strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as the importance of the reconstruction of Ukraine.
"Lithuania is proud to have friends in Japan who are working tirelessly to strengthen bilateral ties, help our people become more familiar with Lithuanian and Japanese cultures, and facilitate new partnerships for businesses. I am sincerely grateful to you for your long-term attention to Lithuania. We live in turbulent times, but they have brought our countries closer together because we share the same principles and values - a rule-based international order, democracy, human rights and freedoms," said Chancellor Balčytytė.
The Chancellor also noted the fact that the Lithuania-Japan Strategic Partnership, approved in autumn 2022, has given a new impetus to bilateral relations and is being implemented on a practical level. The visit of JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) and a Japanese business delegation, along with the Lithuanian-Japanese Business Forum held in Vilnius in September, are welcome examples of this.
As G. Balčytytė noted, Lithuania sees Japan as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Security there and security in Europe are interlinked, and supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression is a common interest of democracies.
One of the areas where assistance to Ukraine is needed and possible today is the reconstruction of the country, to which Lithuania has been contributing since last year by implementing bilateral projects. These projects include the reconstruction of schools and kindergartens, the implementation of digital tools, and expert support to Ukrainian institutions, the Chancellor said.