[Title] Press Conference by the Prime Minister on His Keynote Address at the Shangri-La Dialogue (the IISS Asia Security Summit) and Other Matters

(On what the Prime Minister wanted to make an appeal for in his keynote address, the intention behind it, and whether or not he received support from the participants)

I regard the keynote address I delivered at the Shangri-La Dialogue today as an important opportunity to send out a message of my thinking on the kind of role Japan, a peace-loving nation, should play in the context of the peaceful world order now being subjected to major challenges. Within that, in particular I also asserted my determination to boost Japan's role in the area of diplomacy and security by advancing the five-pillar "Kishida Vision for Peace."

As for whether my remarks were well-received or thought highly of, many people came to talk with me at the dinner held after the session ended, and I received quite a significant number of comments commending the content of my speech, so I regard my remarks as having gotten quite a favorable response. I feel confident the response was positive indeed.

With the world standing at a crossroads in history, I intend to vigorously promote diplomacy that will give concrete shape to the vision I set forth today, working in close cooperation with like-minded countries, including the countries of ASEAN.

(On the future direction of the Prime Minister's summit-level diplomacy)

I have been talking about "realism diplomacy for a new era" for a number of years.

What I have been calling by the phrase "realism diplomacy for a new era" is advancing diplomacy that, as the international community stands at a historic crossroads, is tough and also realistic and places importance on universal values, while firmly holding aloft the banner of our ideals towards the future.

During Golden Week, I visited Asia and Europe. And, looking back on that, though meetings such as the Japan-U.S. summit meeting and the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders' Meeting, we succeeded in reaching agreement that, at a minimum, unilateral changes to the status quo by force cannot be accepted in any region of the world, and that we will cooperate towards the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. And then today, at this Shangri-La Dialogue, I announced that I will advance the "Kishida Vision for Peace."

I believe that at the G7 summit meeting and other diplomatic occasions on the schedule from now, it is critical during summit-level diplomacy that I clearly lay out what role Japan will play in order to bring about the peace and prosperity of the international community, based on this approach. I very much intend to indicate clearly the diplomacy that only Japan can do.

(On diplomacy with the Republic of Korea)

First of all, I too consider it imperative for us to develop the Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) relations we have built up since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1965. In order to do so, I believe it is matter of urgency for us to resolve the various outstanding issues between Japan and the ROK, including the issue of former civilian workers. To restore Japan-ROK relations to a sound relationship, I believe Japan must communicate with the new administration in the ROK based on the positions Japan has held consistently to date. For the future, no concrete meetings have been scheduled, but in light of the various issues the administrations until now have had, I very much hope to thoroughly confirm what kind of approach the ROK side takes.