Japanese, French foreign ministers agree to start new anti-terror dialogues

Japan's Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot have agreed to launch a framework for talks headed by ambassador-level officials to promote cooperation in anti-terrorism measures.

The two met on Tuesday in Italy. They agreed to advance cooperation in the fields of security, economy, science and technology. As for the new anti-terror dialogues, they agreed to have personnel from relevant ministries and agencies take part, and to hold the first meeting next spring in Tokyo.

They also confirmed that they will closely coordinate with each other in East Asia, Ukraine and the Middle East.