Meeting between M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Mr Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan (26 March 2026)

M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Mr Toshimitsu Motegi, on 26 March 2026, on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Vaux-de-Cernay.
The two ministers welcomed the close coordination between France and Japan in the context of the French G7 presidency's work, illustrating the excellent momentum of the exceptional Franco-Japanese partnership in the run-up to President Macron's forthcoming visit to Japan.

They reiterated their condemnation of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed their determination to maintain long-term support to Kyiv. The Minister praised Japan's contribution to the Coalition of the Willing.

Faced with an increase in economic coercion practices, the two ministers emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the resilience of strategic supply chains. They reaffirmed their commitment to a free, fair, rules-based multilateral trading system and expressed their deep concern about all coercive practices.

The ministers expressed their concern in the face of regional escalation risks in the Middle East. They called on Iran to halt its destabilizing activities. They recalled the importance of guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime communication channel for global energy security.