Von der Leyen, Michel meet with Japan's PM Kishida

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosted top European Union leaders for a summit in Tokyo on Thursday, discussing a wide range of topics including Russia's military operation of Ukraine and cooperation in various fields including climate change and digital technologies.

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked Japan for Tokyo's solidarity on Ukraine.Kishida said both parties had confirmed cooperation towards "the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific." Discussions at the summit included ways to bolster cooperation on defense and security. Japan and the EU also announced a digital partnership, the first of its kind.