Japan foreign minister discusses reconstruction, security with Ukraine's Zelensky
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) welcomes Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to Kyiv.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Saturday and agreed to begin discussions on security guarantees and cooperate on reconstructing Ukraine’s economy, the Japanese foreign ministry said.
The security guarantee discussions come after the G-7 group of countries, of which Japan is a member, said in July that its members would begin bilateral security guarantee talks with Ukraine.
Mr Hayashi also pledged support from both the public and private sectors in Japan to reconstruct Ukraine’s economy in the surprise visit to Ukraine, where he was accompanied by executives of Japanese firms, including Mr Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive Rakuten Group, the ministry said.
Japan is planning to host a meeting on the economic reconstruction of Ukraine early next year.
In talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Mr Hayashi was set to reiterate Japan’s firm support for Ukraine and the urgency of ending the Russian invasion with the help of the international community, the ministry said.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky in March. REUTERS
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (left) and his Japanese counterpart, Mr Yoshimasa Hayashi, take a walk in Kyiv.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
