Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine for European Integration Oleksandr Balanutsa held talks with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori. The parties discussed the recently signed Agreement on Support for Ukraine and further cooperation.

«We are grateful to Japan for its political and economic support of Ukraine. It is important for us to maintain partnerships with Eastern countries. Japan is also a member of the Demining Coalition and the IT Coalition – we look forward to your active participation and the provision of possible equipment», – said Oleksandr Balanutsa.

During the meeting, the Ukrainian and Japanese delegations also discussed the importance of Ukraine's involvement in the «Shangri-La Dialogue». Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori emphasized the importance of the participation of the President of Ukraine in this year's forum.

In addition, the Japanese Ambassador noted that although Japan is not a NATO member, it supports Ukraine's path towards Euro-Atlantic integration. At the same time, Oleksandr Balanutsa stressed that Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO is primarily about the standards and values promoted by the state, not about hoping for protection by foreign hands.

The Ukrainian side also expressed gratitude to its Eastern partners for their assistance in the rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers and emphasized the need to increase the volume of this assistance, given the intensity of the fighting.