Berk Kutay Gokmen
22 March 2025•Update: 23 March 2025
ISTANBUL
Japanese Premier Shigeru Ishiba sought on Friday to build a “future-oriented cooperative relationship” with China and South Korea, according to a statement from his Foreign Ministry.
He made comments during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-Yul, in which Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya was also present.
A courtesy call for Ishiba by Wang and Cho took place one day before a scheduled trilateral foreign ministers' meeting.
Ishiba stated that China and South Korea are “extremely important neighboring countries of Japan,” the statement said.
Despite occasional challenges between the three nations, Ishiba emphasized that they are "neighboring countries" and expressed hopes to engage in dialogues, including on matters of concern.
The Japanese premier expressed a wish to “build a future-oriented cooperative relationship through pragmatic diplomacy based on national interests.”
Noting that the three countries have “significant influence and responsibilities,” for maintaining “peace and prosperity” in Asia, Ishiba said cooperation will benefit not only the region but also the rest of the world.
