This year, Slovenia and Japan are celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which is an important milestone in Slovenian-Japanese relations. State Secretary Žbogar and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Yamada reaffirmed the commitment of their two countries to further strengthening cooperation in political, economic and other areas of common interest.

The Slovenian and Japanese delegations discussed bilateral cooperation, including issues related to high-level political dialogue and economic cooperation. They also talked about cooperation on humanitarian aid and joint development projects in the Western Balkans and Ukraine. State Secretary Žbogar and his counterparts then went on to exchange views on current regional and global issues, especially the broader consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region. Other topics discussed included the further development of the Western Balkan countries and their EU accession, as well as Slovenia's cooperation with Japan in the framework of the United Nations.

State Secretary Samuel Žbogar also met with Minoru Kiuchi, Member of the Japanese Parliament, Dr Junichi Yamada, Executive Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and other representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.