Japan, S. Korea Leaders Agree to Develop Bilateral Ties

   Kananaskis, Canada, June 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday confirmed their policy of stably developing bilateral ties, including by continuing shuttle diplomacy, or mutual visits to each other's country by their leaders.
   In their first face-to-face meeting, Ishiba and Lee also agreed to strengthen cooperation between their countries plus the United States, in response to China's increasingly hegemonic moves and North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs.
   The 30-minute meeting was held in Kananaskis, western Canada, on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the Group of Seven major democracies that ended on Tuesday.
   At the start of the bilateral talks, Ishiba said he hopes that Japan-South Korea collaboration will be a very significant force for the region and the world. Lee said he hopes that the bilateral relations will develop into something better and future-oriented.
   This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea. Ishiba and Lee agreed to promote people-to-people interactions and economic exchanges between their countries, based on the positive tone of bilateral relations in recent years. They also affirmed the deepening of communications between the two governments.

(2025/06/18-15:29)