Story perspectives

Japan and Visegrad Four Boost AI, Cooperation in Slovakia

9/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Japan and Visegrad Four foreign ministers met in Slovakia to boost AI research and company cooperation.
It was the first Japan-V4 foreign-minister meeting since May 2021.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said over 900 Japanese firms operate in Slovakia.
He noted the firms also operate in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The ministers agreed to build more resilient supply chains and reduce reliance on any single country.

History

Historical Context

The Visegrad Group, founded in 1995 by Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, aimed to deepen post-Cold War regional integration. By 2005, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry signed a science-technology cooperation pact with the EU, involving 120 joint projects and $2 billion in funding. Today’s Japan-V4 foreign-minister meeting mirrors that earlier framework, as Toshimitsu Motegi and his counterparts pursue AI collaboration and diversified supply chains across the same four nations. The precedent suggests that coordinated research and trade agreements can cement long-term economic resilience, prompting future multilateral standards for emerging technologies.

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Story summary

Japan and Visegrad Four foreign ministers met in Slovakia to boost AI research and company cooperation.
It was the first Japan-V4 foreign-minister meeting since May 2021.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said over 900 Japanese firms operate in Slovakia.
He noted the firms also operate in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The ministers agreed to build more resilient supply chains and reduce reliance on any single country.

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