PM call with Prime Minister Suga of Japan: 16 February 2021

The Prime Minister spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this morning ahead of the G7 virtual leaders’ meeting on Friday.

The two leaders agreed on the important role the G7 will play in defeating coronavirus, ensuring we have equitable access to vaccines throughout the world and helping to build back better from the pandemic.

The Prime Minister welcomed Japan’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and looked forward to an ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target ahead of the UK-hosted COP26 Summit in November. The leaders discussed the importance of working together to tackle climate change.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Suga discussed the strength of the UK-Japan relationship, which has been bolstered recently by a new Maritime Security Arrangement and the meeting between our defence and foreign ministers earlier this month. The leaders also welcomed the UK-Japan trade deal which is creating jobs and investment in both our countries. The Prime Minster thanked Prime Minister Suga for his support for the UK’s accession to the CPTPP.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Suga agreed to work together to apply our shared values to international issues, including our joint condemnation of the military coup in Myanmar and serious concerns about the situations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.