Japan, Dutch leaders agree to strengthen cooperation

The two leaders also announced an action plan calling for cooperation in a wide range of fields, including diplomacy, security, economy, and culture.

They met in Tokyo as part of the Ishiba administration's diplomatic events linked to the ongoing 2025 World Exposition in the western city of Osaka.

"As the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions becomes increasingly inseparable, close cooperation between the two countries is becoming more important than ever," Ishiba said at a joint press conference.

The Dutch leader said he hopes to deepen ties with Japan in all fields.

The action plan included promoting unit-level exchanges between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Dutch military in order to boost security and defense cooperation. It also called for consultations on cyber and other new technologies and close collaboration to counter foreign information operations.

Schoof is the first Dutch prime minister to visit Japan since 2015. He is slated to attend the opening ceremony of his country's pavilion at the Osaka Expo on Tuesday.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander is also scheduled to visit Japan for the country's national day at the Expo on May 21.