TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Store, on Thursday agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

In their talks in Tokyo, Kishida and Stoere also exchanged views on the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.

They released a joint statement, the first such document issued by leaders of the two nations.

In the statement, the two leaders expressed their opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion anywhere in the world.” They also called for further talks between their nations’ defense authorities.

The two are determined to “work together to promote clean energy transitions globally and to achieve climate neutrality,” said the statement.

At a joint press conference, Kishida said the two countries will further expand their cooperation over politics, security and climate change.

With China and Russia in mind, Stoere said that both Japan and Norway are located in areas with tricky geopolitical conditions. He showed an eagerness to work together with Japan to tackle various issues.

The two leaders also agreed to cooperate to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

JIJI Press