PRESS CONFERENCE
Sergiy Korsunsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Japan

11:00-12:00 Wednesday, January 26, 2022
(The speech and Q & A will be in English.)

Ukraine-Japan relations at a time of crisis

On January 26, Ukraine and Japan will be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations. But the happy occasion marking friendly, mutually beneficial ties between the two countries is overshadowed by the crisis in eastern Europe. Reports of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine if Kyiv joins NATO have been in headlines daily. More than 100,000 Russian troops have massed near Ukraine's borders. And Russia has reportedly demanded assurances that NATO will not gather Ukraine into its protective alliance.

The situation has been deteriorating since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Kyiv has been battling a pro-Moscow insurgency in two border regions that has so far left more than 13,000 dead. Adding to tensions is a controversy over the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine. Germany is now facing pressure to use the completed pipeline as a bargaining chip to restrain Russia. 

Ambassador Korsunsky will report on the current crisis on the border with Russia and briefly describe the achievements resulting from 30 years of diplomatic relations with Japan. 

How to attend
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding. 

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live 
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel. 

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/taGMwv6tziXHBN9u7 
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. 

Professional Activities Committee