After Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kim Jong Un on Thursday, Japan issued a warning against going against UN resolutions over military trade with North Korea.
“We are watching (the talks) with concerns including the possibility that it could lead to violations of the Security Council’s ban on all arms-related material transactions with North Korea,” new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters.
There has been widespread speculation that Putin is seeking arms from North Korea to use in his country’s war in Ukraine.
Kamikawa said that the “Russian invasion of Ukraine cannot be accepted”.
She added: “Japan has urged third parties not to provide support to Russian forces. We are watching related activities with concerns.”
In addition, Kamikawa, who was appointed on Wednesday, stated that Japan would keep gathering and analyzing data while collaborating with the US, South Korea, and other countries to guarantee strict adherence to pertinent UN resolutions.
Kamikawa claimed that there were “many issues and concerns” between China and the two nations.
She responded that Tokyo would “strongly urge China to act responsibly” in response to Beijing’s restriction on the import of Japanese seafood after effluent from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear facility was released last month.
“At the same time, we will continue to engage in dialogue on various issues and cooperate on common challenges,” she said.
“It is important that both sides make efforts to build constructive and stable relations.”
