Defense Minister Kono’s Participation in the 19th Doha Forum and Bilateral Meetings in Qatar and Jordan (Summary)
December 2019
Japan Ministry of Defense
On December 14th, Defense Minister Kono visited Qatar to attend the 19th Doha Forum where he made a speech and held bilateral meetings with some defense ministers attending the forum. On December 15th, he visited Jordan and held a meeting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Summaries of the speech and the meetings are as below.
1. Speech at the Doha Forum (14th PM)
On December 14th, Minister Kono attended the 19th Doha Forum and made a speech on “multilateral security cooperation” at a plenary session. The summary of the speech is as follows.
- (1) The global security environment is becoming increasingly complex, and it is vital that the international community works together to overcome challenges to stability and security of this planet.
- (2) In this context, there are two major global challenges that concern Japan’s national security. First, North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development poses a serious and imminent threat to the security of Japan and it also undermines significantly the peace and security of the region and the international community. The international community has to stand united to completely implement all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
- (3) Second, China is engaging in unilateral and coercive attempts to alter the status quo based on its own assertions that are incompatible with existing international order. We are also concerned about China’s rapid enhancement of its military power without transparency, including its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is important to reinforce disarmament and arms control efforts in the international community. The international community also needs to work closely and reinforce the existing international order. To this end, there is a need to uphold the rule of law.
- (4) Japan has committed its national resources to maintaining and building a free and fair international order based on the rule of law. Japan’s Ministry of Defense is promoting the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” with countries that share the same universal values and security interests. We are achieving this task with various defense policy tools, including joint exercises, capacity building and defense equipment and technology cooperation.
- (5) As one example of Japan’s efforts in the multilateral security cooperation sphere, Japan announced “Vientiane Vision 2.0” as Japan’s Defense Cooperation Initiative with ASEAN on the occasion of the ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting-Plus in Bangkok last month. This has its focus on ensuring the rule of law, based on the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
- (6) Japan has assumed responsibilities within the international community that are in line with our economic development, and this was made possible by the creation of Japan’s middle class population. But recently, compared to the economic growth, the democracy has stagnated. This is because if a country grows economy based on the state capitalism, the middle class would not want to destroy a means of livelihood for democracy. So we need to be aware of the threat coming from the state capitalism and stand united to develop market economy and real capitalism.
- (7) Japan will continue promoting multilateral security cooperation and establishing a common approach for the regional security issues.
See attachment for the entire speech
2. Bilateral Meetings in Qatar
(1) Japan-Qatar Defense Ministerial Meeting (with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khaled Bin Mohamad Al-Attiyah) (December 14th AM) 
(2) Japan-Malaysia Defense Ministerial Meeting (with Minister of Defence Mohamad Bin Sabu) (December 14th PM) 
3. Visit to Jordan
Meeting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lieutenant General Yousef Huneiti (December 15th PM) 