Japan thanks France for Indo-Pacific support

Japan's Foreign and Defense ministers held a virtual meeting with their French counterparts on Thursday to discuss Indo-Pacific cooperation.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi met over a video conference with Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly.

Hayashi expressed gratitude to France for being Japan's "impartial partner" and helping to achieve what he called "a free and open Indo-Pacific".

He added that France "shares fundamental values and strategic benefits" in the region with Japan and was ''leading European countries" to participate in Indo-Pacific cooperation.

Kishi said that France was "the only nation among the members of the European Union" with a stable presence in the region and "in a visible way".