Japan, Ukraine agree to strengthen security cooperation amid DPRK troops' involvement in war

Japan and Ukraine have agreed to hold a bilateral security dialogue involving the ministries of foreign affairs and defense amid North Korea's deployment of troops in Russia.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said this at a joint briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on Saturday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He noted that the parties discussed in detail the “extremely disturbing situation” with the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia and their direct participation in the war against Ukraine. Iwaya expressed deep concern, as this will negatively affect not only the situation in Ukraine but also in Asia, and condemned such activities.

Read also: United States, South Korea, and Japan support Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defense

In light of these concerns, the parties agreed to hold a bilateral security dialogue at the highest level, with the participation of the heads of the foreign and defense ministries, to further strengthen information sharing and security cooperation. In this way, security cooperation between Japan and Ukraine will be promoted more systematically within the framework of such a dialogue, the head of Japanese diplomacy announced.

As reported, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit on Saturday, November 16.