Foreign minister Cho Tae-yul held his first phone call since taking office with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, to discuss bilateral relations and other issues.

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, Cho and Kamikawa spoke for over 30 minutes on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the relations of the two nations and other regional and global issues.

They assessed that the bilateral ties have normalized through close communication, including seven summits last year, and agreed on the importance of continuing two-way cooperation based on trust between the top diplomats in order to strengthen improvements in the relations.

Expressing concerns about escalating tensions in the region due to North Korea’s hostile rhetoric and provocations as well as its illegal military cooperation with Russia, the ministers agreed to work closely together with the United States to lead the international community in a firm, united response.

The two sides also agreed to coordinate closely on the international stage as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council this year.

Congratulating Cho on his inauguration, Kamikawa thanked the Seoul government for its provision of humanitarian assistance to Tokyo for recovery efforts in the wake of the strong earthquake in Ishikawa.