TOKYO, Japan – On July 4, Hayashi Yoshimasa, minister for foreign affairs of Japan, held a foreign ministers’ meeting and working lunch with H.E. Eduardo Enrique REINA García, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of the Republic of Honduras, for approximately 90 minutes.
Minister Hayashi welcomed minister Reina’s visit to Japan, expressing his hope to further strengthen relations with Honduras, an important partner sharing fundamental values such as freedom and democracy. In response, minister Reina stated Honduras attaches great importance to the bilateral relationship with Japan, and expressed his hope to further deepen it.
Bilateral relations
Minister Hayashi expressed his expectation that Japan’s cooperation, including emergency support loan and grant aid for bridge reconstruction to Honduras, would contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, smoothing the logistics situation in the Central American region, and economic development in Honduras. Minister Hayashi welcomed the progress made in Japan-Honduras cooperation in the area of space, noting that a microsatellite of the Central American Integration System (SICA), of which Honduras is a member, is to be released from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station.
Minister Reina also expressed appreciation for Japan’s assistance and asked for continued Japanese support with the various needs of Honduras, including health, infrastructure, migrant measures, and education.
Cooperation in the international arena and regional affairs
The two ministers shared the view that they should firmly maintain “the rule of law” and should reject “the rule of force” with regard to the situation in Ukraine and that Japan and Honduras, both countries with shared fundamental values, will work closely to address international issues, such as United Nations (UN) reform, including Security Council reform and strengthening of UN functions.
“The two ministers also exchanged views regarding the situation in East Asia, including response to North Korea’s nuclear, missile, and abductions issues, as well as the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, and concurred to continue coordinating to address these issues,” says the ministry of foreign affairs of Japan.
