Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed hopes of advancing bilateral ties with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, building on the groundwork laid by both governments, according to Tokyo’s readout of their first phone call on Monday.

In a press release, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Ishiba congratulated President Lee on his inauguration and conveyed his commitment to stronger ties.

He also expressed a desire to closely cooperate on North Korea-related issues, including the abduction of Japanese citizens.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of South Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperation amid growing strategic challenges in the region and affirmed their intention to develop bilateral ties in a stable and constructive manner.

They also shared their hopes for an in-person summit in the near future. 

Japanese media outlets have speculated that their first face-to-face meeting could take place on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada from June 15 to 17.