ISTANBUL
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Wednesday urged a "faithful" implementation of the Israel and Iran ceasefire during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio and Iwaya discussed the current situation in the Middle East region and the US tariffs, according to a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The meeting occurred at the sidelines of the two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, Netherlands, which the 32 NATO members' foreign ministers and heads of state are attending.
Iwaya "welcomed the announced ceasefire between Israel and Iran as a significant development and underscored the importance of its faithful implementation."
Rubio and Iwaya, during their talks, also agreed upon the necessity of further diplomatic efforts to "achieve peace and stability in the region."
Both ministers also agreed to support the relevant ministers in the tariff negotiations between the two countries to achieve "a mutually beneficial agreement for both Japan and the United States."
Japan also faces a 24% "reciprocal" tariff rate starting July 9 unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington.
Meanwhile, Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo's top negotiator and economic revitalization minister, will also visit Washington for the seventh time to negotiate US tariffs beginning Thursday, according to NHK.
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba canceled his planned trip to the NATO leaders' summit on Monday.