TOKYO Feb 11 Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken held a bilateral meeting in Australia before the meeting of the foreign ministers of the QUAD member countries, during which the topics of bilateral cooperation, the DPRK missile program, the situation around Ukraine, as well as the Chinese problem were touched upon.» The ministers strongly condemned unilateral attempts to forcefully change the status quo in East China and the South China Seas and reaffirmed the intention for close cooperation between Japan and the United States on various issues regarding China,» the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release. />The US Ambassador in Tokyo supported Japan in the issue of ownership of the South KurilesThe heads of departments also expressed «serious concern about North Korea's missile and nuclear program.» should watch with great concern the build-up of Russian military forces in the regions bordering Ukraine, and reiterated their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the document says. Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about allegedly increased «aggressive actions» by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations, saying that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and claims of «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. In addition, Hayashi and Blinken agreed to continue efforts to prepare for US President Joe Biden's visit to Japan to attend the QUAD Leaders' Meeting planned on Japanese soil in the first half of this year. The QUAD format brings together India, the US, Japan and Australia.
