Japan, U.S. to hold talks on foreign affairs, defense

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:35 JST, March 10, 2022

Daniel Kritenbrink, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, were to participate in director general-level meetings of foreign and defense authorities in Tokyo, during their visit to Japan from Thursday through Saturday.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is expected to be a major topic of discussion, in addition to measures to strengthen U.S.-Japan defense cooperation.

“The Assistant Secretary will confer with officials on further joint efforts to support Ukraine and its people and to hold Russia accountable for its brutal war against Ukraine,” the U.S. State Department said in a press release.

The two countries are also expected to exchange views on promoting cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea in the wake of a series of North Korean missile launches.