Minister for Digital Transformation Makishima went on a business trip to Estonia, Finland and Germany

Published:: May 12, 2022

From May 6 to May 11, 2022, MAKISHIMA Karen Minister for Digital Transformation visited the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Finland, and the Federal Republic of Germany, held bilateral meetings with relevant ministers and others from each country, and attended the G7 Minister for Digital Transformation Conference. He also took this opportunity to exchange opinions with local companies and others, and visited facilities closely related to the digital field, including cybersecurity.

1. Visit to the Republic of

Minister for Digital Transformation Makishima visited the Republic of Estonia from May 6 to May 8.

(1) Meeting with Andres Sutt, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and IT

On May 6, Minister Makishima visited Estonia and held an exchange of views with H. E. Mr. Andres Sutt, Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT, at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia.

Scene from the meeting Left: Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT Suet
(Left: Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT Suet)

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Makishima expressed his gratitude for being able to visit Estonia on this special occasion, which was Digital Agency's first overseas business trip. He also stated that he would like to strengthen relations between the two countries based on the content of the online meeting held in February this year. In addition, based on the situation in Ukraine, he also stated that he had various experiences in Estonia, and that he would like to share them and cooperate in the future.

In response, Minister Sut expressed his gratitude for the fact that it was his first overseas visit and welcomed the further strengthening of relations between the two countries. In addition, it was once again recognized that network connectivity is extremely important not only for the economy and society of normal times but also in times of contingencies. In particular, it was shown that it is important to enhance network connectivity and resiliency by applying loads and testing on a daily basis.

In addition, the two leaders confirmed cooperation for the promotion of DFFT, which means to ensure the free flow of data across borders based on trust, and exchanged information on the current situation of both sides.
In response to Minister Makishima's statement that for the future, Japan will focus on securing Trust through technology and use cases, Minister Sut said that Japan is positive about the joint development of use cases, and in particular, use cases, a startup company in Estonia.

Through the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), the two countries will promote digitalization that is of value to their citizens and governments by undertaking more concrete initiatives, such as the exchange of experts.

(2) Memorandam of Cooperation (MoC) Signing Ceremony

As a signature to the Memorandum of Cooperation in the Digital Field (MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE DIGITAL AGENCY OF JAPAN AND THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF DIGITALIZATION (MoC)), I digitally signed the tablet.

See the following page for details.

Signed the Memorandam of Cooperation (MoC) in Digital with Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT of Estonia Suto

(3) Visit relevant facilities

From May 6 to May 8, Minister Makishima visited the Estonian Information Systems Agency (RIA: https://www.ria.ee/en), the NATO Cyber Defense Cooperation Center (CCDCOE: https://ccdcoe.org/), the Training Center (CR14: https://cr14.ee/), the e-Estonia Briefing Center ( https://e-estia.com/), the Estonian Police (e-police: https://www.politsei.ee/), people involved in ITL entrepreneurship ( https://itl.ee/en/), and other facilities in the digital field, including the cybersecurity field, and exchanged opinions with key persons from related companies.

NATO Cyber Defence Cooperation Centre and Training Centre
(NATO Cyber Defense Cooperation Center and Training Center)

(Estonian Information Systems Agency)

2. Visit to the Republic of

Minister Makishima visited the Republic of Finland on May 8-9.

(1) Meeting with Mr. Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economy

On May 9, 2022, Ms. Makishima held an exchange of views with H. E. Mr. Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs, at the Finnish Ministry of Economy.

(Left: Lintila, Minister of Economy)

Minister Makishima expressed his gratitude for being able to visit Minister for Digital Transformation on this special occasion, which was the first overseas business trip by a Japanese official. He also explained the status of the Government of Japan's initiatives in digitalization and the roles of Digital Agency as its control tower.

Minister Lintila explained that Finland is focusing on AI utilization, including Aurora AI, which he launched, and is also focusing on quantum computing. He also explained that Finland is a country with a small population, so it is strongly promoting cooperation (PPP) with private sector companies, and that data utilization is advancing in various industries to increase efficiency, and that technology is also being used for privacy and personal data protection.

Minister Makishima explained the DFFT proposed by Japan, and then decided to continue the exchange of views in order to deepen the sharing of knowledge between the two countries in the digital field.

(2) Meeting with Sirpa Paatero, Minister of State for Regional Affairs

On May 9, Ms. Makishima held an exchange of views with H. E. Ms. Sirpa Paatero, Minister of Local Government in Ministry of Finance.

Right: Minister of the Partello Region
(Right: Regional Minister Patel)

Minister Makishima expressed his gratitude for the fact that he was able to visit digitalization. He explained the status of the Government of Japan's efforts in Digital Agency and the roles of Kyoto City as its control tower. He expressed his interest in the relationship between the high level of happiness of the Finnish people and digital technology.

Mr. Patel expressed his recognition that we have many common points, and explained the strategies and digital transformation as a specific approach to Ministry of Finance, which is the core of the Finnish government's digitalization, and "human-centered digitalization," which is a feature of the Finnish development. He also explained that the Finnish government is actively investing in IT, which is for well-being and directly contributes to the realization of a highly happy society. Then, the head of the region explained Aurora AI, which is an example of the use of AI by the Finnish government, and there was a specific and active discussion on the importance of not only technology but also consideration for privacy and decentralization of data, as well as explanation to the public. organization

Finally, Minister Makishima touched on the commonalities between the two countries, which share the same social Issue of an aging society, and explained Japanese efforts to "leave no one behind," Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation, and other matters. He made forward-looking remarks on various forms of cooperation in the digital field. In response, Minister Perthero expressed his strong interest and intention to cooperate.

The two ministers shared the view that they would use this meeting as an opportunity to continue working-level discussions with the relevant authorities in order to develop concrete cooperation on issues of common interest between Japan and Finland.

(3) Meeting with H. E. Mr. Vielle Skinnari, Minister of development Cooperation and Foreign Trade

On May 9, Minister Makishima held an exchange of views with H. E. Mr. Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of development at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2nd from left: Sennari, Minister of development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
(Second from left: Sennari, Minister of development Cooperation and Foreign Trade)

Minister Makishima expressed his gratitude for the fact that he was able to visit Japan and that Minister of development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Sukhnari, who is pro-Japanese, is promoting exchanges between the two countries.

Minister Skinnari explained the long-standing exchanges between the two countries and said that he would like to promote further strengthening in the digital field in the future. In addition, he explained the significance of a holistic approach such as public-private partnership (PPP) between the government and private sector companies and social implementation, as well as the construction of an ecosystem for startups and its results.

Minister Makishima stated that exchanges between businesses of the two countries will advance, that submarine cables are one of the measures to strengthen digital infrastructure, and that these are important. He explained Japanese initiatives related to Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation and smart cities, and there was a lively exchange of views on areas to be particularly emphasized and cooperation with private sector companies.

(4) Meeting with Mr. Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications

On May 9, Mr. Makishima held an exchange of views with H. E. Mr. Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications, at the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications.

(Centre: Minister of Transport and Communications of Harakka)

Minister Makishima expressed his gratitude for the fact that he was able to visit digitalization. He also explained the status of the Government of Japan's efforts in Digital Agency and the roles of Okinawa as its control tower.

Minister of Transport and Communications Harakka touched on the commonality between the two countries in the field of wireless communications, and expressed interest in the deployment of 5G and 6G.

Minister Makishima presented the goal of 5G penetration (99% population coverage by the end of fiscal 2030), and talked about the significance of submarine cables as a measure to strengthen digital infrastructure between the two countries. He also exchanged views on the two countries' efforts to utilize advanced technologies. He introduced the Japanese efforts to review Digital Extraordinary Administrative Advisory Committee based on digital principles and the efforts to create a "technology map" that can be used by the public and private sectors. He also introduced that the Japanese government will promote measures to cope with an aging society with high technology as the starting point. Minister al-Harakka expressed his expectation that regulation will be a driving force for the Finnish Issue, which is also facing an aging population.

In addition, as the two ministers are in charge of cybersecurity, they exchanged views on Issue and measures, and discussed the future strengthening of relations between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Makishima mentioned that Finnish people attach great importance to Trust, and explained about the DFFT that the Government of Japan is promoting. In response to this, Minister al-Harakka expressed his gratitude for the fact that the Government of Japan is playing a leading role among many like-minded countries, and introduced the initiatives of MyData that the Government of Finland is actively promoting, and active discussions were held on cooperation toward the realization of DFFT in the future.

3. Visit to the Federal Republic of

Mr. Makishima visited the Federal Republic of Germany from May 9 to 11 to attend the G7 Minister for Digital Transformation Conference.

G7 group photo
(Group Photo)

(1) G7 Minister for Digital Transformation Meeting

The G7 Minister for Digital Transformation Meeting was held in Düsseldorf on May 10-11. In addition to the G7 countries, H. E. Mr. Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for digitalization Affairs of Ukraine, attended a working session on cyber resilience online.

Cyber Resilience

On May 10, in light of the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of State for digitalization Affairs, was invited (online) to hold a working session on cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. At the session, participants discussed cyber resilience of digital infrastructure, the significance of public-private partnerships (PPP), strengthening response to emergencies, and strengthening cooperation among G7 countries, such as sharing best practices.

On monitor: Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov of Ukraine
(Monitor: Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Fedorov)

During the session, Minister Makishima expressed his full solidarity with Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. He also introduced Japanese initiatives on cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, and public-private cooperation on cybersecurity. cybersecurity, as shown by its response to the situation in Ukraine, is an area where international cooperation is important, and he expressed his intention to continue to work in cooperation with the G7 countries to ensure a free, fair, and safe cyberspace. In addition, as a shared initiative, he introduced the lesson learned from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, in which a large number of unauthorized communications were observed, but communications were blocked for 450 million security events, realizing a safe Games, and he expressed his intention to take it over to Paris, Milan, and Los Angeles, which will be held in the future.

At the same session, the Joint Declaration was adopted.

B7 Round Table

On May 10, a roundtable with the B7 was held, and Minister for Digital Transformation Makishima stated that in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is necessary to send a strong message that digital technology will not become a threat to people, such as cyberattacks and fake news, but will contribute to the happiness and prosperity of people. He also said that data is the most important pillar of digital utilization, and DFFT is a concept that serves as a foundation for discussions on global data governance. Through this, it is a concept that advocates a synergistic effect of "trust" and "free distribution," which further promotes the free distribution of data and strengthens the trust of consumers and businesses. He also said that he would like to work with private sector companies to strategically promote DFFT.

(B7 Round Table)

Discussion on the Ministerial Declaration

On May 11, discussions were held on the Ministerial Declaration. At the session, Minister Makishima emphasized that the solidarity of G7, which shares fundamental values, is important in facing the great difficulties facing the world today. He then conveyed the establishment of Digital Agency last September 2021, Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation as the first pillar of "new capitalism," Digital Extraordinary Administrative Advisory Committee's efforts to advance digital reform, regulatory reform, and administrative reform in an integrated manner, including national and local governments, and digitalization and digital transformation's efforts, including national and local governments. In addition, in preparation for the 2023 Japan-hosted G7 Meeting, he conveyed his intention to work toward the realization of reliable and free data distribution (DFFT) based on the results of G7 so far.

At the same session, the Ministerial Declaration, the DFFT Plan of Action and the Principles for a National Legal Framework for the Promotion of the Use of Electronic Transferable Records were adopted.

A press conference

On May 11, a press conference was held following the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration, at which Minister Makishima stated

The solidarity of G7, which share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, is important in facing the great challenges facing the world today, and a strong message is needed that digital technology will not become a threat to people but will contribute to their happiness and prosperity.
I had discussions with the ministers in charge of each country and realized the significance of the unity of the G7 countries, which are fellow countries that share fundamental values. At the same time, each country has been working toward the goal of "a people-friendly digitalization where no one is left behind," and in this context, we have a common Issue and problems for each digitalization and digital transformation, and in that sense, we were able to share a sense of being comrades.
I am convinced that the Ministerial Declarations adopted today and the Declarations adopted yesterday at the session on cyber resilience held in the presence (online) of H. E. Mr. Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, have, in these respects, served to send a message of unity and solidarity to the world as a like-minded G7.
Next year, the Government of Japan will take over the baton of the G7 from the Federal Republic of Germany and become the G7 Presidency. Based on the results achieved so far, the Government of Japan intends to produce concrete results as the G7 Presidency for 2023, and to this end, the Government of Japan intends to exercise leadership.

Has been sent.

In addition, Minister Makishima stated

Based on the establishment of Digital Agency in September 2021 last year, Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation as the first pillar of "new capitalism," efforts by digital reform to integrally promote regulatory reform, Digital Extraordinary Administrative Advisory Committee and administrative reform, including national and local governments, and efforts by digitalization and digital transformation, including national and local governments, he expressed his intention to contribute to the G7 next year as a G7 member state.
In preparation for the G7 Meeting to be hosted by the Government of Japan in 2023, we would like to work toward the realization of reliable and free data distribution (DFFT) based on the results of the G7 to date.

I sent out the idea.

(Press Conference hosted by Germany (Presidency))

A bilateral meeting

During the G7 Minister for Digital Transformation Meeting, Prime Minister Abe held bilateral meetings with participating ministers from various countries, including Federal Minister for Digital and Transport of Germany, Federal Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry of Champagne, Canada, and Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Abe shared recognition on DFFT, cybersecurity and other regions, and confirmed cooperation toward the G7 Meeting to be hosted by Japan in 2023.
In particular, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Vissing, who served as Chair this year, gave us strong words about close cooperation based on his knowledge as Chair. He also gave us a positive evaluation that Digital Extraordinary Administrative Advisory Committee initiatives are advancing and that he would like to learn from the Japanese side.

Meeting with Federal Minister for Digital and Transport of Germany Victor Vissing
(Meeting with Minister of Digital and Transport of the Federal Republic of Germany Vlissing)

In addition, I exchanged views with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Champagne Canada on issues such as DFFT, cybersecurity, and support for start-ups, and I feel very close to Japan-a country with which I share values. He warmly told me that he would like to rely on me as the G7 Presidency next year and that he would like to cooperate with me.

(Meeting with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Champagne Canada)

With the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary Doris and I confirmed that we will further strengthen Japan-U. K. cooperation through the development of digital human resources, the government's digitalization, and the recently launched working-level Japan-U. K. Digital Group. In addition, Foreign Secretary Doris expressed interest in and a positive response to Japanese efforts in Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation.

(Meeting with Mr. Doris, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom)

Summary

Going forward, I was able to share the recognition that each country has a common Issue in digitalization with regard to the response to digitalization and cybersecurity, as well as the holding of the G7 next year. At the same time, I once again recognized the significance of the unity of countries that share fundamental values.