Ambassador for Arctic Affairs Attends the Lennart Meri Conference 2026
2026/5/14
From May 14 to 17, Ambassador TAKAHASHI Katsuhiko, Ambassador for Arctic and WPS affairs, visited Estonia and explained Japan's Arctic policy and exchanged views on the Arctic situation with other speakers at the breakfast session "The Art of the Arctic: High North, Higher Stakes" of the Lennart Meri Conference 2026 organized by the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS).
In addition, on the 14th, Ambassador TAKAHASHI visited the laboratory of Professor Maarja Kruusmaa, who serves as Chair of the Polar Research Committee of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and exchanged views on Arctic policy. Also on the afternoon of the same day, he visited the Tallinn Migration Centre and exchanged views with Ms. Kaisa Üprus-Tali, Head of the Tallinn Migration Centre on WPS and topics including the empowerment of women and protection from domestic violence.
On the morning of the 15th, he exchanged views on Arctic research activities with Professor Katrin Savomägi, CEO of the Polar Club, and Professor Lauri Laanisto of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, followed by a discussion with Ms. Andrea Kivi, CEO & Executive Director of Estonian Centre for International Development, on the WPS perspective in the field of development cooperation. He then held a luncheon meeting with former Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Rainer Saks and Mr. WATANABE Tsuneo, Senior Fellow of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
On the afternoon of the same day, he exchanged views on cooperation in the field of WPS with Ms. Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Ms. Katrin Kivi, Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights and Migration. As both Japan and Estonia serve as members of the Human Rights Council, the two countries will continue to work closely together in the field of human rights, including WPS.
In addition, on the 14th, Ambassador TAKAHASHI visited the laboratory of Professor Maarja Kruusmaa, who serves as Chair of the Polar Research Committee of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and exchanged views on Arctic policy. Also on the afternoon of the same day, he visited the Tallinn Migration Centre and exchanged views with Ms. Kaisa Üprus-Tali, Head of the Tallinn Migration Centre on WPS and topics including the empowerment of women and protection from domestic violence.
On the morning of the 15th, he exchanged views on Arctic research activities with Professor Katrin Savomägi, CEO of the Polar Club, and Professor Lauri Laanisto of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, followed by a discussion with Ms. Andrea Kivi, CEO & Executive Director of Estonian Centre for International Development, on the WPS perspective in the field of development cooperation. He then held a luncheon meeting with former Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Rainer Saks and Mr. WATANABE Tsuneo, Senior Fellow of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
On the afternoon of the same day, he exchanged views on cooperation in the field of WPS with Ms. Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Ms. Katrin Kivi, Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights and Migration. As both Japan and Estonia serve as members of the Human Rights Council, the two countries will continue to work closely together in the field of human rights, including WPS.