Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, agreed Wednesday to work together to achieve peace in Ukraine.

At their meeting held at the Prime Minister*s Office in Tokyo, the two leaders also discussed the situations in Asia and the Middle East, confirming close cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

※The security of the Euro-Atlantic and that of the Indo-Pacific are closely linked,§ Takaichi said at the start of the meeting.

※There are a host of challenges, including Ukraine and the Middle East, that the international community as a whole has to address,§ she added.

Tusk noted that Poland and Japan share common values.

Takaichi and Tusk agreed to elevate their countries* relations to a ※comprehensive and strategic partnership§ and to advance discussions on enhancing security cooperation, including creating a framework for information protection.

The two countries also held a signing ceremony for a social security agreement.

After the meeting, Takaichi and Tusk released a joint statement stipulating that they ※firmly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.§

※Cooperation with like-minded countries has become more crucial than ever amid an increasingly severe security environment,§ Takaichi told a joint news conference.

Tusk emphasized that the two nations play a significant role in global stability.

The meeting was the first between Takaichi and Tusk, who became the first Polish prime minister to visit Japan since January 2020.