Ihor Klymenko met with Masashi Nakagome, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine
The meeting between Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and Masashi Nakagome, the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine, took place at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
During the negotiations, the parties discussed relevant areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan, in particular in the security sector, support for Ukraine in the international arena, humanitarian demining, rehabilitation of servicemen, protection and defence of the state border, as well as documentation and investigation of war crimes.
At the outset, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, extended his congratulations to Masashi Nakagome on his appointment and expressed expectations for fruitful cooperation under the current circumstances:
“On behalf of the entire Ministry, I am pleased to greet you in your new position. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of Japan have developed one of the warmest relations during the tenure of Kuninori Matsuda , and we are looking forward to continuing the same fruitful work. I strongly believe that our cooperation will continue to develop, and that the projects we have already launched will gain new perspectives and scale. It is particularly important for us to have the support of such a reliable partner in today's environment”.
In his turn, Masashi Nakagome, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, stated that he was honoured to be in Ukraine and represent Japan at this important and challenging time. He assured that Japan's support for Ukraine would remain unchanged.
“I am extremely grateful for the warm welcome and I am delighted to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor. Japan firmly supports Ukraine in its struggle for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our country will continue to promote humanitarian projects, provide support in the areas of security, demining, and strengthen cooperation in the field of mental health. It is important to me that our assistance is effective and timely, so we are ready to respond to your requests”, – assured Masashi Nakagome.
Ihor Klymenko stressed that humanitarian demining is one of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Japan is one of the largest donors of demining equipment in Ukraine.
Thus, owing to Japan's support, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine has received more than 600 units of demining equipment, as well as mobile laboratories and other equipment. It was noted at the meeting that every third vehicle used by the SESU was provided by Japan:
"A third of the demining vehicles, metal detectors and other equipment for clearing our land of explosive objects were donated by the Japanese side. Owing to Japan's support, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine quickly received more than 600 pieces of equipment for demining operations. This, in turn, enables us to bring life back to the areas affected by the hostilities. We don't have 25 years to complete mine clearance, we have a maximum of 8-10 years, and today our capabilities are sufficient to quickly clear our territories of enemy mines".
Ihor Klymenko stressed that all the transferred equipment is used exclusively for its intended purpose. The Minister informed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will soon launch an accounting system that will help to find out where and how the donated aid is used.
"I am very pleased to hear that you are deploying the equipment donated for demining. It is indeed operating in the fields and demonstrating good results in clearing the Ukrainian land of explosive hazards. We are also ready to contribute to the assistance and development of your humanitarian demining centres", – said Masashi Nakagome, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine.
In addition, Ihor Klymenko expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan for the transfer of 26 mobile forensic laboratories, 12 ANDE DNA laboratories and 26 forensic kits to the National Police of Ukraine.
The parties also discussed the rehabilitation of servicemen and the opening of the Mental Healthcare Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Ihor Klymenko stressed that the level of mental health of the military will determine the level of security in the country after the war:
"The war has a negative impact on the psychological state of the servicemen, police and rescuers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Therefore, to provide quality medical and psychological services to the victims, an important decision was made to establish a Mental Healthcare Centre. Our task is to provide comprehensive and all-round support and rehabilitation to the servicemen".
The issue of border security was also an important part of the talks. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine noted that the Ukrainian side is counting on Japan's support in developing video surveillance systems and integrating intelligent technologies for border monitoring. According to the Minister, this will help improve control and facilitate faster response to possible threats and illegal border crossings.
This meeting was another important step towards deepening the partnership between Ukraine and Japan, which is based on common interests and active support for Ukraine in its struggle for independence and security.
"Japan views Ukraine as a reliable partner, and we are committed to doing our part to ensure a stable and secure future for your citizens. And I am convinced that our cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine will become even more effective and efficient", – said Ambassador Masashi Nakagome.
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
