Japan and Guatemala open new chapter in their bilateral relations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, met this Friday (16) with his Guatemalan counterpart, Pedro Brolo, to address bilateral issues, as part of his three-day visit to the Central American country.

The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Friday’s meeting at the headquarters of the local Foreign Ministry, a few kilometers from the center of Guatemala City.

Read also: Check out our coverage on Guatemala

Motegi arrived on Thursday in the country presided by Alejandro Giammattei at the beginning of a tour of Central America and the Caribbean through July 21. He will also visit Panama, Cuba, and Jamaica.

The visit has been cataloged as historic by the authorities of both countries for being the first visit of a Japanese foreign minister to Guatemala in 34 years.

Motegi said in local media this Friday that he is “very pleased” to visit Guatemala “after 34 long years since the last visit” of a Japanese foreign minister.

The foreign minister added that he decided to visit Guatemala “to open a new chapter in our friendly relationship after 85 years,” precisely when “the historical milestone of the bicentennial of independence from Spain” is commemorated.

In Guatemala, the Japanese foreign minister is also interested in reviewing the situation of those who suffered damage from hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020.

The ministerl will hold a meeting this Friday with the Guatemalan president, Alejandro Giammattei, and later participate in a ministerial forum of the Central American Integration System (SICA). He will leave Guatemala on Saturday to continue his Central American and Caribbean region tour.

In an interview with Efe before his trip, Motegi assured that, in addition to seeking the “consolidation of economic relations” with the continent, he would also try to “strengthen collaboration in the face of global challenges” such as the fight against pandemics, climate change, and natural disasters, among other areas.

At the end of his trip, Motegi will become the first Japanese foreign minister to visit so many Latin American countries in one trip and visit Jamaica, where he will hold a meeting with 14 nations of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).