Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and French President Emmanuel Macron have affirmed the shared interest of their nations in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law. This was announced by Japan's Foreign Ministry following a 40-minute telephone conversation between the two leaders.
According to Kuwait News Agency, during their discussions, Ishiba and Macron agreed to collaborate closely on global issues, including the situations in Ukraine and East Asia, as well as policies regarding North Korea. Ishiba emphasized the growing inseparability of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security and expressed a desire for cooperation with Macron, particularly in security matters. Macron responded by expressing his wish to further develop the positive bilateral relationship, focusing on areas such as economic security, civil nuclear energy, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, referring to Japan as an "Exceptional Partner."
The leaders also delved into a wide range of economic topics, considering the effects of U.S. tariff measures and China's retaliatory actions on the global economy and multilateral trade systems, as stated by the ministry.