The Japanese Foreign Ministry, with an official note, announced that Minister Taro Kono yesterday concluded his diplomatic trip during which he visited the Islamic Sultanate of Brunei and Singapore. The note describes the cooperation between Japan and the two countries as "critically important" within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and to "materialize the strategy of the free and open Indo-Pacific region", on which the policy rests. regional Japanese, and in particular Tokyo's cooperation with the United States, India and Australia.
During his journey, which began on 10 February, Kono discussed issues related to bilateral relations and international issues of common interest, starting with the importance of a shared maritime order in the region. Kono, the statement recalls, is the Japanese foreign minister to visit Brunei and Singapore since 2013.