Hanoi (VNA) – Foreignministers of ASEAN countries and Japan agreed on the importance of freedom ofnavigation in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) duringtheir virtual meeting on August 3.

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu stressed thecountry's opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific by force, according to the Foreign Ministry of Japan.

He said as the region faces the challenge posed by thecoronavirus pandemic, it is important to maintain and strengthen the principles ofthe rule of law and transparency in the Indo-Pacific region.

Motegi also reiterated Japan's support for ASEAN's bid toimplement its five-point consensus on how to tackle the political crisis inMyanmar.

The minister invited ASEAN leaders to Japan for a summit in2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of friendship and cooperativerelations between the country and the regional bloc.

The ministers also discussed cooperation in responding to theCOVID-19 pandemic, with Japan pledging to provide more vaccine doses andsupport for the health care system in ASEAN countries. The Northeast Asiannation has so far offered 9.6 million vaccine doses to the regional grouping, the Japaneseministry said.

Japan and ASEAN ministers also agreed on the importance of puttingan end to the nuclear and missile development programmes of the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea./.