Japan's Suga pledges continued cooperation to UN in fighting COVID-19 pandemic

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TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday told United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Japan will continue to cooperate with the UN and the international community to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a 20-minute teleconference, Guterres said he appreciated Japan's commitment and resolve as part of the international community's efforts in fighting the global pandemic, foreign ministry officials here said.

Earlier in the week, Guterres appealed for global solidarity to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the talks Thursday, the pair also committed to continuing cooperation in a number of areas, spanning climate change and peace building activities.

The teleconference marked the first talks between Suga and Guterres since Suga took over from Shinzo Abe as prime minister.

Guterres congratulated Suga on becoming Japan's prime minister, foreign ministry officials said.

Suga, for his part, while thanking Guterres, reportedly told the UN chief that Japan continues to place a great deal of importance on multilateralism.