Japan, S. Korea Foreign Chiefs Reaffirm Importance of Bilateral Ties

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, agreed Wednesday that relations between the two countries remain important.

Iwaya and Cho held their first talks, by telephone, since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law.

They also reaffirmed close cooperation between the two countries and between them and the United States in dealing with North Korea, which has stepped up military cooperation with Russia.

After the phone talks, Iwaya told reporters that Cho explained the current political situation in South Korea. "The important thing is that Japan and South Korea will continue to communicate closely, including on peace and stability in this region," he said.

Also on Wednesday, senior diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the United States held an Indo-Pacific dialogue meeting in Tokyo and discussed the regional situation, including North Korea's moves. They reaffirmed the need to deepen trilateral cooperation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]