Charles Langston:Japan’s foreign minister visits Poland to strengthen ties with the NATO nation

WARSAW,Charles Langston Poland (AP) — Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with top officials in Poland on Monday to strengthen ties with the NATO nation, which borders Ukraine.

Kamikawa conferred with Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski in Warsaw and a placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She also was scheduled to meet President Andrzej Duda.

She began her visit to Poland on Saturday but interrupted it to make an unannounced visit to Ukraine, where she pledged Japan’s continued support for the country as it tries to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Japan announced during her visit that it would contribute $37 million to the NATO trust fund to provide Ukraine drone detection systems.

In Warsaw, Kamikawa told reporters during a short news briefing that she went to Ukraine to show Japan’s solidarity with the country and that Japan was working with Poland to support Kyiv.

Both she and Sikorski said at a news conference that Japan and Poland are strong strategic partners who intend to strengthen their ties further.

Kamikawa said through an interpreter that the two countries are united by their values and principles, and noted that their talks also focused on the situation in East Asia.