Ukraine, Japan sign memorandum on cooperation in area of justice
Justice Ministers Denys Maliuska of Ukraine and Ryuji Koizumi of Japan have signed a memorandum on cooperation in the area of law and justice.
According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the memorandum was signed in Kyiv on Monday.
"We have just signed a memorandum on cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Japan and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, which outlines directions for our cooperation. We have just talked in our previous meeting about our priorities. Initiatives to support the fight against corruption are an absolute priority," Maliuska told journalists after signing the memorandum.
He recalled that at last year's G7 meeting, "Japan, as the host of the event, took the initiative to launch a corresponding group working on anti-corruption initiatives."
"This, accordingly, received support from other G7 ministers at a recent meeting in Venice. We have now agreed on bilateral cooperation with Japan in various directions. As I already mentioned, the first is the fight against corruption. But in addition to this, this is also the development of the capacity to strengthen the personnel potential of the Ministry of Justice, as well as bilateral support in the field of justice, including in the field of execution of punishments and in other areas that are a priority for the Ministry of Justice," Maliuska said.
He also thanked Japan for supporting Ukraine and noted that the Ministry of Justice of Japan, unlike the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, "still deals with migration issues, including those relating to our citizens who have been forced to leave Ukraine and move to Japan as a result of a full-scale invasion."
"My feeling is that our joint work - the main and key one - is still ahead. We agreed on a number of joint activities. And that is why I am once again grateful to Japan, a key country and our partner, for economic, diplomatic, and professional support in areas related to the rule of law and justice," Maliuska added.
Koizumi, in turn, said that his country would provide comprehensive support to Ukraine in the fight against corruption and the implementation of judicial reform.
"Now Ukraine is fighting not only an external but also an internal enemy, which is corruption. I want to express my respect to all those who oppose it. Japan will provide comprehensive support to Ukraine in this," Koizumi said.
He said that under the memorandum signed today, the Ministries of Justice of Japan and Ukraine would cooperate in the area of law and justice, the implementation of judicial reform, including issues of the penitentiary system, and strengthening of institutional capacity in the legal and administrative spheres.
"We also agreed on the exchange of information and further cooperation within the Anti-Corruption Working Group for Ukraine," Koizumi said.
As you know, the Minister of Justice of Japan Ryuji Koizumi arrived in Ukraine on August 5.