On Wednesday, July 1, during a visit to Japan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha held bilateral talks in Tokyo with his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu. The Foreign Minister briefed the Japanese Minister on the situation on the battlefield, Ukraine's long-range sanctions against Russia, and the prospects for peace efforts.

"The partnership between our countries is mutually beneficial. It is above all about exchanging the most valuable thing: experience. Japan's unique experience in post-disaster recovery is extremely important for Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine's unique combat experience is of great importance for Japan's security," the Minister stressed.

Andrii Sybiha informed his Japanese counterpart about the barbaric Russian strike on Ukraine's millennium-old shrine — the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. At Ukraine's request, Minister Motegi expressed Japan's intention to provide support through UNESCO for the restoration of the damaged Lavra, which is a World Heritage Site.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also thanked Japan for providing non-lethal assistance, its contribution to the PURL programme, and other forms of support.

The Minister spoke about the unique combat experience of the Ukrainian military and stated that Ukraine is ready to develop security cooperation with Japan, primarily in the field of unmanned technologies.

The Minister also informed his Japanese counterpart about the deepening interaction between Russia and North Korea, which poses challenges to stability in both Europe and Asia. The Foreign Ministers exchanged views on jointly countering these threats.

Andrii Sybiha also underscored that Ukraine values the position of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in support of Ukraine, expressed at the Group of Seven summit in Évian. The Minister expressed profound gratitude to Japan for its financial, humanitarian, technical and other forms of support totalling over 20 billion dollars, including in the areas of demining, medicine, agriculture and education.

The Foreign Minister secured his counterpart's assurances of Japan's continued support.

Following the talks, Ministers Andrii Sybiha and Motegi Toshimitsu signed an agreement in the form of an exchange of notes between Ukraine and Japan on a Scholarship Project worth up to approximately 500,000 dollars under Japan's Grant Aid JDS.

"The goal is not only for scholars to obtain academic education, but also to cultivate future public administration leaders who, upon completing their studies, will be able to apply the knowledge, research experience and professional connections they have gained to participate in the development and implementation of Ukraine's social and economic development plans, strengthen institutional capacity, support reforms and post-war recovery," Andrii Sybiha said.

According to the Minister, the agreement will allow for the continuation of the JDS scholarship project, the strengthening of the partnership between Ukraine and Japan, the enhancement of the human resources potential of Ukrainian institutions, and the building of a community of graduates of Japanese universities capable of applying the knowledge they have gained to address practical tasks of Ukraine's social and economic development.