Japan vows further support for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida affirmed Japan’s firm commitment to aid war-torn Ukraine’s restoration during the Japan-Ukraine Conference in Tokyo, reported by Kyodo News.Prime Minister Kishida pledged continued support, leveraging Japan’s expertise in recovery efforts from earthquakes to assist Ukraine’s rebuilding process.Japan announced a grant aid of 15.8 billion yen ($105 million) to Ukraine, aimed at addressing landmine and unexploded ordnance threats, and restoring electricity and energy infrastructure, as per Kyodo News.The conference, held ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighted Japan’s determination to extend financial and business support to Ukraine, given its inability to offer military assistance like Western nations.According to Kyodo News, during the conference, Prime Minister Kishida and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal oversaw the signing of over 50 memorandums of cooperation between the public and private sectors of both countries.These agreements encompassed diverse fields including infrastructure rebuilding, demining, agricultural expansion, and governance enhancement.Prime Minister Kishida emphasized Japan’s unique contribution to Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, citing the upcoming treaty to eliminate double taxation and negotiation to revise an investment pact.Additionally, Japan will establish an office of the Japan External Trade Organization in Kyiv to bolster bilateral business ties.In his address earlier on Monday, Shmyhal called on Kishida, who traveled to Ukraine in March 2023 for talks with Zelenskyy before hosting the Group of Seven summit in May in Hiroshima, to revisit Ukraine.Kishida and Shmyhal reaffirmed in a joint communique that intensifying sanctions against Russia is a crucial and effective measure to deter Moscow’s military activities.The conference involving about 300 government and corporate officials from Japan and Ukraine was held as concern is