{"id":44362,"date":"2026-09-09T15:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=44362"},"modified":"2026-09-11T15:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:18:08","slug":"the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Being V4+Japan: Why This Format Matters More Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44362\" class=\"elementor elementor-44362\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-12b5931 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"12b5931\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3142aa2e\" data-id=\"3142aa2e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-299f5bcf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"299f5bcf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: Unsplash.com<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d838a3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3d838a3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-3d838a3c{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4923fa87 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4923fa87\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-20b44999\" data-id=\"20b44999\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-6b3f6a3a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6b3f6a3a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-218a4b56\" data-id=\"218a4b56\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e3a3abb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2e3a3abb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On <strong>September 1<\/strong>, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the\u00a0<strong>Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Japan<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">met <\/a>for the\u00a0<strong>8th Visegrad Group (V4) Plus Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting<\/strong>. The meeting took place in the vicinity of\u00a0<strong>Bratislava<\/strong>, as Slovakia assumed the V4 Presidency on July 1. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/c_see\/page4e_001127.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous<\/a> V4+Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting was held\u00a0<strong>five years ago in Poland<\/strong>, at a time when the international landscape looked very different from today. Against this backdrop, the ministers met to discuss how to address today\u2019s challenges, strengthen cooperation and prepare for the future.<\/p><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The V4+Japan format was <strong>established in\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DctuXBEkbn0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>2003<\/strong><\/a>, before the V4 countries joined the <strong>European Union<\/strong> (EU). Today, the platform is a key pillar of <strong>Japan\u2013Europe cooperation<\/strong>, which, as Japanese Foreign Minister <strong>Toshimitsu Motegi<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted<\/a>, is becoming increasingly important amid growing tensions in the field of economic security.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The V4 ministers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expressed<\/a> their <strong>gratitude for Japan\u2019s strong engagement<\/strong> in the region: Relations between Tokyo and the individual V4 countries span more than <strong>100 years<\/strong>, while around <strong>930 Japanese companies<\/strong> contribute to the region\u2019s economies, supply chains and labor markets. In\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ct24.ceskatelevize.cz\/clanek\/domaci\/vyjadreni-macinky-v-ramci-schuzky-ministru-zahranici-zemi-v4-a-japonska-377149\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Czechia<\/strong><\/a>, for example, around <strong>270 Japanese companies <\/strong>employ approximately <strong>50,000 people<\/strong>. In <strong>Slovakia<\/strong>, Motegi\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/sk\/pageite_000001_01792.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">highlighted<\/a>\u00a0U.S. Steel Ko\u0161ice, which is currently transitioning to <strong>Nippon Steel Slovakia<\/strong> and is set to become the core hub of Nippon Steel\u2019s European operations, employing around <strong>8,000 people<\/strong> in the city of Ko\u0161ice.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ministers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">identified<\/a> <strong>three key areas<\/strong> for future cooperation. First, advancing <strong>scientific and technological cooperation<\/strong> through V4 Plus Japan Science and Technology Workshops, as well as through cooperation under <strong>Horizon Europe<\/strong>, the EU\u2019s research and innovation funding program. Second, deepening cooperation on <strong>global AI governance<\/strong>. Third, recognizing the importance of the stability and development of the <strong>Western Balkans<\/strong> and continuing to support a <strong>strongly united Europe<\/strong> based on fundamental values.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Regional affairs<\/strong> were also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discussed<\/a>, including <strong>Ukraine<\/strong>, the <strong>Middle East<\/strong> and the <strong>Indo-Pacific<\/strong>. Japan remains the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/chart\/28489\/ukrainian-military-humanitarian-and-financial-aid-donors\/?srsltid=AfmBOor0kSCQI-fkiEbFJay0rFz98RKqBHUs9EMKHgBNx_1CMHdqGver\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">largest<\/a> Asian provider of aid to Ukraine, and the V4 ministers expressed support for Tokyo\u2019s vision of a <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/japans-free-and-open-indo-pacific-part-ii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)<\/strong><\/a>, recognizing that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the collective framework, the meeting also provided an opportunity for individual V4 countries to deepen their relations with Japan. For example, the <strong>Czech Republic and Japan<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/cz\/pageite_000001_01798.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signed<\/a>\u00a0an <strong>Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership Cooperation for 2026\u20132030<\/strong>, with bilateral priorities including economic relations, economic security, space and quantum technologies. Czech Foreign Minister <strong>Petr Macinka<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ct24.ceskatelevize.cz\/clanek\/domaci\/vyjadreni-macinky-v-ramci-schuzky-ministru-zahranici-zemi-v4-a-japonska-377149\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>\u00a0that Japan is a key partner for <strong>Central Europe<\/strong> and practically the <strong>oldest partner of the V4<\/strong>. He also highlighted the strategic value of the V4+Japan format and expressed appreciation for its clear vision for the future, as demonstrated by concrete projects and investments.<\/p><h2>Why does it matter?<\/h2><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main takeaway from the meeting was that the <strong>security and economic interests of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inseparable<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/sk\/pageite_000001_01792.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to Motegi, this is due to <strong>common challenges<\/strong> facing the V4 countries, the EU and Japan, including increasingly <strong>interconnected supply chains<\/strong> and <strong>excessive dependence on specific partners<\/strong>. He was referring to both energy dependencies on <strong>Russia<\/strong> and economic dependencies on <strong>China<\/strong>, which can be easily weaponized. For Japan, the most recent example was <strong>China\u2019s <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/who-let-the-wolves-out-japans-position-on-taiwan-infuriated-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>reaction<\/strong><\/a> to a statement by Japanese Prime Minister <strong>Sanae Takaichi<\/strong> last November, suggesting that Japan might become involved should China forcibly attempt to change the status quo in the <strong>Taiwan Strait<\/strong>. China subsequently exerted significant diplomatic and <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/winning-without-fighting-chinas-trade-pressure-on-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">economic<\/a> pressure on Japan, leveraging Japan\u2019s dependence on the Chinese market. This is also why Motegi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/sk\/pageite_000001_01792.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stressed<\/a> that <strong>expanding cooperation with trusted, like-minded and friendly nations<\/strong>, <strong>diversifying supply chains<\/strong> and <strong>enhancing resilience<\/strong> are of paramount importance.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the <strong>V4 and Japan<\/strong> share an interest in <strong>maintaining a free and open international order based on rule of law<\/strong>, which is increasingly being challenged by countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. The foreign ministers of the V4 and Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/ct24.ceskatelevize.cz\/clanek\/domaci\/vyjadreni-macinky-v-ramci-schuzky-ministru-zahranici-zemi-v4-a-japonska-377149\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">agreed<\/a> that they can build on the solid foundations of the V4+Japan partnership and take it to the next level through investment and cooperation in strategic areas, including <strong>economic security, and advanced science and technology<\/strong>.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The V4+Japan format was established more than 20 years ago, but as Motegi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/erp\/erp_2\/pageite_000001_01799.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>, <strong>solidarity and cooperation among these countries are more important than ever<\/strong> to maintain and strengthen the rules-based international order. After all, it was that international order that brought this European block together with its geographically distant Asian partner in the first place.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Unsplash.com Foto: Unsplash.com What is happening? On September 1, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the\u00a0Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Japan\u00a0met for the\u00a08th Visegrad Group (V4) Plus Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting. The meeting took place in the vicinity of\u00a0Bratislava, as Slovakia assumed the V4 Presidency on July 1. The previous V4+Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":44348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[506],"class_list":["post-44362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-david-toman"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Importance of Being V4+Japan: Why This Format Matters More Than Ever - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Importance of Being V4+Japan: Why This Format Matters More Than Ever - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Unsplash.com Foto: Unsplash.com What is happening? 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On September 1, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the\u00a0Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Japan\u00a0met for the\u00a08th Visegrad Group (V4) Plus Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting. The meeting took place in the vicinity of\u00a0Bratislava, as Slovakia assumed the V4 Presidency on July 1. The previous V4+Japan Foreign Ministers\u2019 [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/","og_site_name":"European Values Center for Security Policy","article_published_time":"2026-09-09T13:10:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-11T13:18:08+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/slovakia_web.png","width":2160,"height":1136,"type":"image\/png"}],"author":"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/"},"author":{"name":"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1","@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/1dad131c1c5d60a777b1a204a2c2605c"},"headline":"The Importance of Being V4+Japan: Why This Format Matters More Than Ever","datePublished":"2026-09-09T13:10:15+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-11T13:18:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/"},"wordCount":1781,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/slovakia_web.png","keywords":["David Toman"],"articleSection":["Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/","url":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/the-importance-of-being-v4japan-why-this-format-matters-more-than-ever\/","name":"The Importance of Being V4+Japan: Why This Format Matters More Than Ever - 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