Tokyo [Japan]: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday had a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron over emboldening of security relations amid Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. French President and Japanese Prime Minister had a 40 minutes phone call where they conversed about enhancing cooperation between both countries. This included France’s Jeanne d’Arc training fleet visiting Japan for joint exercises in May, reported Kyodo News citing government sources. Calling France a “special partner”, the Japanese Prime Minister commended Macron’s leadership in the European Union, rendering strategic involvement in the Indo-Pacific region. The French President congratulated Kishida on his recent win and the commitments Japan made at the United Nations summit on climate change and to serve the world in coming closer to zero carbon emissions, reported Kyodo News citing government sources. The Foreign Ministry stated that the parties communicated over other issues the world is facing including COVID-19, matters of China and North Korea, developments on the African continent further affirming cooperation on securing the return of Japanese nationals abducted by the North in the 1970s and 1980s, reported Kyodo News.
