Kishida, Steinmeier vow to boost cooperation on Ukraine, Indo-Pacific

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:58 JST, November 2, 2022

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier vowed to unify the response to Russian aggression in Ukraine among the Group of Seven nations and other countries during talks in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Kishida and Steinmeier also agreed to boost cooperation to realize a “free and open Indo-Pacific” in their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The security of Europe and the security of the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable. We’ll promote multilayered security cooperation with like-minded countries,” Kishida said at a joint press conference after the meeting.

“Japan and Germany uphold the order based on the rule of law,” Steinmeier said.

The two leaders also vowed to strengthen bilateral cooperation during foreign and defense ministerial talks in Germany on Thursday.