Japanese, US leaders pledge close cooperation on the North Korea issue
(VOVWORLD) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden agreed Tuesday to boost the deterrence and response capabilities of their bilateral alliance after North Korea launched for the first time in five years a ballistic missile that flew over the Japanese archipelago, according to the Japanese government.
 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (R) at an online summit with US President Joe Biden on January 21, 2022. (Documentary photo: AFP/VNA) |
In a phone talk, the two leaders expressed their concerns over North Korea's 5 consecutive missile tests in the past 10 days, including a ballistic missile launch over Japan for the first time in five years.
They said the two allies and South Korea will step up coordination within the UN Security Council toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
They reaffirmed that they will promote cooperation to strengthen the Japan-US alliance’s response. Prime Minister Kishida reiterated Japan's determination to reinforce its defense capabilities.
Kishida said Japan is collecting and analyzing information on North Korea's next move and will continue to work with other parties, including the UN, to send a strong message to the North before considering unilateral sanctions.