The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee visits the Philippines and Japan
The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) will travel to the Philippines and Japan at the end of the week to strengthen relations between the countries and discuss the regional security situation and the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that, in the current security situation, it was important for Estonia to be as active as possible in defending and promoting its interests on the global arena, and to establish and develop relationships with like-minded countries around the world. “Europe, India, and the Pacific region can increasingly be viewed as a single, closely interconnected space of security threats, and that is why we want to gain a better understanding of the security environment in East Asia and the South China Sea,” Mihkelson explained, and added that Estonia’s positions would also be presented at the meetings and opportunities for cooperation would be discussed more broadly.
According to Mihkelson, the Foreign Affairs Committee has kept the rapidly developing Asian region in its focus for years and has previously visited New Zealand and Australia, as well as Taiwan and South Korea. “The Philippines are located in a strategic region where international law and cooperation between countries are being tested in relation to the actions of China and Russia. Japan is a key shaper of regional security, one of the largest economies in the world, and a leading industrial and technological power,” Mihkelson pointed out. He added that these countries were supporters of the rules-based and democratic world order, and developing relations with them contributed to the promotion of shared values.
In Manila, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee will meet with Dino Tanjuatco, Senior Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Philippine House of Representatives, as well as with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro and Executive Secretary Ralph Gonzalez Recto.
In Tokyo, the delegation will have meetings with Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Konosuke Kokuba and members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives of Japan, members of the Japan-Estonia friendship group, and Ryuji Satomi, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence of the House of Councillors of Japan. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will also have meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the University of Tokyo. In both countries, they will also meet with representatives of several diplomatic missions and think tanks.
The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee consists of Chairman Marko Mihkelson and members of the Committee Ester Karuse, Eerik-Niiles Kross and Henn Põlluaas. The visit to the Philippines and Japan will take place from 29 March to 3 April.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
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