The foreign ministers of Japan and Germany pledged Monday to work together to support the rules-based international order threatened by Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, while also keeping economic sanctions in place against Moscow.
During their talks in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock also agreed that the two countries should further strengthen defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is intensifying its maritime assertiveness.
"We need to be united with like-minded nations to deal with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which undermines the foundation of the international order," Hayashi said at a joint press conference with Baerbock after the meeting.