Japan's Foreign Minister Kishida: Japan to work with EU to help Ukraine
02 May 2014 23:05
Japan's Foreign Minister and the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton have agreed to work together to ensure Ukraine's presidential election goes smoothly on May 25th
Fumio Kishida exchanged views with Catherine Ashton about the situation in Ukraine on the phone during his stay in Denmark on Wednesday.
Ashton said EU nations agree on the importance of the rule of law and democracy, despite differences in their stance on Ukraine.
She also said that for stability in Ukraine, the presidential election needs be held safely.
Kishida said the work of election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, will be important for the election.
He said Japan is willing to cooperate with the OSCE in various aspects.
Kishida explained Japan's decision to deny more than 20 Russian officials entry visas into Japan for the time being, as part of new sanctions against Russia. Ashton expressed support for the measure.
