Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has called for the removal of bans on fishery imports from Fukushima and other Japanese prefectures. 

According to Japan's state broadcaster NHK, Motegi made the call on Wednesday during an annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) Plus Three meeting that brought together the ten ASEAN member nations and three dialogue partners - South Korea, China and Japan. 

During the virtual conference, the Japanese top diplomat called for the swift removal of the import bans, claiming the safety of Japanese food is being confirmed by scientific evidence.  

NHK said the remarks were directed at South Korea and China, which have restricted fishery imports from Japan since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

South Korea has banned imports of seafood from eight prefectures near Fukushima since September 2013, citing concerns over radiation levels.