Japan-United Arab Emirates Defense Minister’s Video Teleconference

June 9, 2020
Japan Ministry of Defense
in Japanese

On June 9, 2020, Minister KONO had a video teleconference with Minister Bowardi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

  1. The two Ministers exchanged views on issues such as the roles to be played by the defense authorities given the global spread of COVID-19. Minister Kono explained the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ activities on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, activities to take measures at the airport and to prevent community spread infection, infection-preventative measures undertaken in their operation which resulted in having no deployed member infected with the virus, and analysis by the SDF Central Hospital by using a presentation document (see attached). Minister Bowardi also explained the recent activities and measures taken in UAE.
  2. Minister Kono explained the information gathering activities for ensuring the safety navigation of the Japan-related vessels in the Middle East. The two Ministers agreed to continue close communication for ensuring peace, stability and safety navigation of vessels in the Middle East.
  3. The two Ministers exchanged views on the current regional security issues. And Minister Kono expressed view that free and open maritime order based on international law is important.
  4. Further, the two ministers exchanged views on defense cooperation and exchanges between Japan and UAE. And Minister Kono pointed out the importance of both countries’ maintaining seamless defense posture and continued and strengthened bilateral defense cooperation to uphold and reinforce the Free and Open Indo-Pacific taking into consideration the implication of COVID-19.
  5. The two Ministers agreed on the following three points bearing in mind the circumstances arisen by the spread of COVID-19;
  1. sharing information, knowledge and lessons learned about the measures taken by the defense authorities towards overcoming COVID-19 at the earliest stage;
  2. necessity of sharing threat recognition based on the current circumstances and potential effects of the spread of COVID-19 on defense policy of each country; and
  3. promoting vigorously defense cooperation and exchanges while maintaining communication between the defense authorities.