Japanese prime minister makes surprise visit to Poland

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday said Polish-Japanese friendship is vital to counteract Russia, as he met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on a surprise visit to Warsaw.

“Yesterday I visited Kyiv, where I announced that Japan and the G-7 will continue to support Ukraine. Japan, as this year's chairman of the G-7, will continue to cooperate with Poland and use its leadership to support Ukraine,” Kishida said in a joint news briefing after the meeting in Warsaw.

He added that in order to end Russia's war, it is important that like-minded countries remain united and continue imposing more sanctions.

Kishida visited Ukraine on Tuesday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while Chinese leader President Xi Jinping held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“A new geopolitical order is being born before our eyes. Countries that think alike about peace, stability and unity must cooperate closely, just like Poland and Japan,” said Morawiecki.

“It is important that Poland and Japan cooperate closely in overcoming signs of aggressive policy,” he said, adding that “the China-Russia axis is dangerous.”

“Our countries lie on two extreme sides, the borders of Russia, but we perfectly understand the threat posed by Russian imperialism to world peace and to international order,” Morawiecki went on to say.

He added: "I am glad that Poland and Japan are strengthening their ties of friendship and cooperation. I am sure that this will contribute to the restoration of stability and freedom in Ukraine, as well as economic, geopolitical and energy stability for the whole world."

The Japanese leader will later meet Polish President Andrzej Duda.