Ukrainian President Zelensky (right) and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida during a meeting in Kiev, March 21. (Source: The Kyiv Independent)

The press service of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 29 that Mr. Zelensky had discussed the issue of ensuring security for Ukraine in a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio earlier in the day.

President Zelensky highly appreciated the joint statement on security guarantees for Ukraine adopted by the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries, urging Japan to support bilateral agreements under this document.

“We are ready to start negotiations with Japan on this issue as soon as possible,” Mr. Zelensky stressed.

In addition, the Ukrainian leader said he invited Japan to participate in the next round of consultations on the Ukrainian Peace Formula at the level of National Security Advisors and to attend the Global Peace Summit.

During the phone call, the two sides also discussed the prospects of expanding the “grain corridor” across the Black Sea for food exports from Ukraine by establishing alternative routes.

Another topic of the phone call was preparations for the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference scheduled to take place in Japan in early 2024.