The foreign ministers of Japan and five Central Asian nations have agreed to uphold the principles of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and settling disputes peacefully.

Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and his counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan met in Tokyo on Saturday.

Addressing the gathering, Hayashi noted the international community stands at a crossroad in history amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

He said cooperation between Japan and Central Asia is now more important than ever. He added Central Asian nations are important partners for Japan in maintaining and strengthening an international order based on the rule of law.

At the meeting, the foreign leaders confirmed the importance of further coordination as well as fair and transparent finance for development. This is apparently aimed at responding to economic coercion and other issues as China is increasing its economic presence in Central Asia.

The diplomats also shared the view that they will support the peace and development of Afghanistan.

In addition, they agreed to secure supply chains related to food, energy and logistics, and to advance cooperation with a focus on "investment in people" and "quality of growth" through personnel exchanges and other means.