TOKYO: The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea on Friday affirmed the importance of cooperation among the three countries to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading further.

In a 70-minute videoconference, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Wang Yi and Kang Kyung-wha, also agreed that the three nations' health ministers need to hold a videoconference at an early date to discuss measures against the new virus.

Motegi proposed that the three countries step up the use of their joint information-sharing mechanism, share information related to work to develop drugs and vaccines for the new coronavirus, mutually supply medical goods in times of emergency and cooperate in cross-border public health measures.

The three ministers confirmed that details of the proposed measures will be discussed by working-level officials of the countries.

Motegi stressed that Japan aims to hold the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in a perfect form as a testament to human abilities to overcome the new virus. Wang and Kang supported the Japanese position, according to sources with access to the videoconference.

The virus, which originated in China, has hit Japan and South Korea, and is now spreading to European countries, including Italy, and the United States.

Japan, China and South Korea are believed to be aiming to help the world contain the crisis by utilizing the knowledge they obtained through their fight against the novel virus.

This was the first videoconference ever among the foreign ministers of the three East Asian nations, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

JIJI Press