TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and his visiting Irish counterpart, Micheal Martin, on Wednesday affirmed their countries’ cooperation in implementing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida and Martin also agreed to work together in providing support to Ukraine.

With China’s hegemonic moves in mind, they agreed to advance cooperation for realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “an outrageous act that shakes the very foundation of the international order, in not only Europe but also Asia,” Kishida said at the meeting at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, Martin referred to his recent visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and said that the city’s damage from the Russian invasion was terrible. “The aggression can never be tolerated,” he added.

At the first Japan-Ireland summit since 2013, Kishida and Martin adopted a joint statement calling for the strengthening of economic relations between the two countries, among other things.

Kishida and Martin also discussed ways to strengthen the functions of the United Nations and issues including nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

Ireland is currently a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council.

Martin expressed his condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while delivering an election campaign speech, in the western Japan city of Nara on July 8.

JIJI Press