Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for stronger economic ties between his country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, when he spoke at a luncheon meeting of Japanese business persons with visiting ASEAN leaders in Tokyo on Monday.

“It’s important for fast-developing ASEAN and Japan with its advanced technologies to strengthen economic ties at all levels, benefiting from each other,” Kishida said at the event held on the sidelines of the three-day Japan-ASEAN special summit in the Japanese capital through Monday.

The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited the ASEAN leaders to the luncheon meeting at a Keidanren facility with the aim of building stronger Japan-ASEAN economic relations.

At the outset of the meeting, Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura said that Japan and ASEAN need to cooperate on an equal footing as the world faces global challenges that must be addressed by nations and regions working together.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said at the meeting that Japan’s innovative financing and technology transfers are necessary support for ASEAN to achieve decarbonization.

The special summit to mark 50 years of friendly and cooperative relations between Japan and ASEAN is co-chaired by Kishida and Widodo.

JIJI Press