Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held bilateral talks with leaders of seven South Pacific countries on the second day of their summit in Tokyo.
They confirmed their commitment to jointly addressing climate change and building a disaster prevention system in their meetings on Wednesday.
Japan hosts the Pacific Island Leaders Meeting once every three years. This year’s meeting, the tenth in the series, invited leaders from 18 South Pacific island nations and territories. It opened on Tuesday.
In his meeting on Wednesday with Palau President Surangel Whipps, Kishida expressed hope to further strengthen the “kizuna,” or bonds, between Japan and the Pacific Island countries.
The prime minister also said he wants to make the meeting an opportunity to communicate their shared direction both domestically and internationally.
In his meeting with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Kishida mentioned a demonstration project using Japan’s Michibiki satellite, akin to the Global Positioning System, to provide real-time earthquake and tsunami information.
In a series of bilateral meetings, Kishida also confirmed cooperation on common issues such as maritime safety and cyberattacks.
In addition, he called for understanding of Japan’s discharge of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
On Thursday, the final day of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, the participants are expected to hold comprehensive discussions and announce the outcome in the form of a declaration.