Estonia Supports Japan in UN Security Council Reform

08.02.2010

Nr 36-E

At a meeting with Japanese State Secretary Koichi Takemasa during the Munich Security Conference, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet confirmed Estonia’s support for Japan’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council when Security Council reform comes into effect. “Estonia supports reforming the UN and expanding the Security Council, including adding Japan to the permanent members of the Security Council,” said the Estonian foreign minister. “The UN Security Council must go along with changes—compared to the time when the Security Council was created, the world has developed significantly,” Paet noted.

Paet and Takemasa also talked about Estonia and Japan’s co-operation in the UN and reciprocally supporting one another’s candidacies in UN organs. Paet talked about Estonia’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council in 2012 and to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020.
In talking about economic relations between the two countries and co-operation in international organisations, another topic was the upcoming visit by the Estonian prime minister and a business delegation to Japan. Foreign Minister Paet reported that Estonian export to Japan has been growing. “During the past year, Estonian export to Japan has grown by 14%. The planned visits and the activity of the Enterprise Estonia economic representative in will certainly help economic contacts between Estonia and Japan to continue to grow,” said Paet.

Paet made a proposal to consider concluding an inter-governmental financial information exchange agreement between Estonia and Japan to combat money laundering and the funding of terrorism. They also talked about plans for future visits between Estonia and Japan and Paet extended an invitation to his Japanese colleague to visit Estonia. “Continuing political consultations between Estonia and Japan is also necessary to further develop our relations,” Paet noted.

Paet stated that a positive indicator of the development of Estonia-Japan relations is the fact that Japan has designated its first residing ambassador to Estonia, who lives in Tallinn.

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