The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and France will hold security talks virtually on Thursday, with cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's rise has stoked concern among many countries, expected to top the agenda.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a news conference Tuesday that the two countries share fundamental values and strategic interests and will promote their security collaboration during the online "two-plus-two" meeting, after the French Defense Ministry announced its schedule on Monday.
Hayashi said that he and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi will discuss a variety of topics, including recent regional affairs, in the first such talks since January 2019 with their respective French counterparts Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly.