「インド太平洋」で連携訴え　ＥＵ理事会に初出席―茂木外相

　【ブリュッセル時事】茂木敏充外相は２５日、ブリュッセルで開かれた欧州連合（ＥＵ）の外相理事会にオンライン形式で出席した。軍事、経済両面で影響力を強める中国をにらんで日本が提唱する「自由で開かれたインド太平洋」構想について説明。日本とＥＵの連携を訴えた。
　ＥＵ側が参加を要請した。外相理事会に日本の外相が出席するのは初めて。
　外務省によると茂木氏は、中国の動向を念頭に南シナ海などでの安全保障、民主主義や人権、インフラ開発に伴う途上国の対外債務問題を挙げ、インド太平洋地域に「さまざまな挑戦が存在している」と指摘。ルールに基づく秩序維持や地域の経済的結び付きの強化に向けて「日・ＥＵで協力を進めていく」と表明した。
　外相理事会では、多くの国から理解が示されたほか、気候変動対策を含め米国と共に国際社会で指導力を発揮する重要性でＥＵと一致。北朝鮮による拉致問題の早期解決への支持も得たという。（2021/01/25-22:24）

Japan's foreign minister attended a regular meeting of European Union foreign ministers for the first time on Monday, at a time when China is increasing its economic and military presence.
   Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi joined the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting online, at the request of the EU side.
   The EU is alarmed by China's growing influence in Europe, including through its Belt and Road initiative, and on the other hand increasingly interested in potential economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region.
   According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Motegi pointed out at the meeting that there are various challenges in the Indo-Pacific region including those to the security situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as to democracy and human rights. He also cited external debt issues in developing countries.
   To realize the Japan-backed Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, Motegi called for advancing Japan-EU cooperation, including in the fields of promoting the international community's basic principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and strengthening regional connectivity.