The top diplomats of Japan and the European Union have held talks in Brussels. They agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the defense industry, maritime security, and cyberspace.



Japan's Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met on Friday.



Iwaya said cooperation with like-minded countries is becoming even more important in light of "current global upheaval."



He said he hopes to work closely with Kallas to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law.



Iwaya expressed "high recognition" for the EU's defense white paper.



He says the document, released in March, "explicitly states the importance of strengthening security and defence cooperation" with Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan.



Iwaya and Kallas discussed the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East and elsewhere. They also reaffirmed their view that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable.