Full Breakdown
V4+Japan Foreign Ministers Meet to Revive Cooperation
9/2/2026, 7:48:52 AM
V4+Japan Foreign Ministers Convene Near Bratislava
On Tuesday, foreign ministers from Japan, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary gathered near Bratislava for the eighth V4+Japan meeting and the first such gathering in five years. The summit follows a March 2024 V4 foreign-minister meeting that was the last before this session. Slovakia, holding the V4 rotating presidency since July, hosted the talks.
Context and Recent Developments
The Visegrad Group (V4)—Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary—was created in 1991 to coordinate regional integration. Relations among the members have been strained by differing positions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and EU policy, prompting Hungary’s new government earlier this year to seek a reset with Poland and broader V4 coordination. The meeting also coincides with the EU-Japan strategic partnership, which entered into force in 2025, and with a United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted on 31 August 2028 designating 31 August, beginning in 2027, as the International Day of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.
Agreements on Technology, AI and Supply Chains
The ministers agreed to deepen cooperation between research institutions and companies in cutting-edge fields, notably artificial intelligence. They emphasized building more resilient supply chains and reducing reliance on single sources. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi noted that over 900 Japanese companies are already operating in the four Central and Eastern European nations and pledged continued Japanese contribution to the region’s economic development.
Official Statements
Motegi stressed the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law, while Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski highlighted the meeting as a step toward restoring V4 coordination after years of division. Slovak officials indicated that discussions would also cover political and economic ties, security, energy, cyber resilience, and scientific collaboration.
Upcoming Steps
The foreign-minister meeting is scheduled for September 1 in Bratislava, where the V4 presidency will continue to steer the agenda. Participants indicated that follow-up work will focus on concrete projects in AI research, joint supply-chain initiatives, and further alignment within the EU-Japan strategic partnership.
