(VOVworld) - Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion have agreed on cooperation on a number of issues during their talks on Friday in Ottawa, Canada.

Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, left, speaks during a news conference with his Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion in Ottawa on Feb. 12. © Reuters

They pledged to cooperate in dealing with North Korea’s further provocations following its recent rocket launch, and China’s illegal construction of artificial islands in the East Sea. They reaffirmed their commitment to the rule of law at sea, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They reiterated their cooperation to deal with any unilateral acts that would change the status quo in the East Sea and stressed that any disputes should be settled via peaceful means.