10 January 2024•Update: 10 January 2024
ANKARA
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday agreed to work closely on UN Security Council reforms.
The two leaders spoke by phone about bilateral cooperation and the G-20 summit, which Brazil is hosting this year, according to a statement from Japan's Foreign Ministry.
This year’s G-20 summit in Brazil is expected to be held in November.
Kishida assured Lula that his country is willing to enhance cooperation with Brazil and collaborate closely for the success of the G-20 Rio de Janeiro Summit.
The two leaders also pledged to collaborate on environmental and climate change issues, as well as efforts to end poverty and hunger.
Japanese and Brazilian leaders also agreed that they would work closely together on UN Security Council reform as members of the Group of Four or G-4.
President Lula also explained priority issues at the G-20 Brazil and expressed his expectation for cooperation with Japan.
Kishida said the two countries are "Strategic and Global Partners," and that Japan would like to work closely with Brazil to uphold and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law, as well as to ensure a world where human dignity is protected.
He also thanked Brazil's Lula for his condolence message regarding the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on the first day of the year.
Last week's 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck central Japan, killing at least 206 people, while 52 others are still missing.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid
