Representatives of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine have met with a delegation from Japan on February 5 to determine the key directions of international military cooperation between Ukraine and Japan.

Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Bessarab said that it is necessary to continue military cooperation between Ukraine and Japan and expressed the hope that it would be extended during international exercises, the ministry's press service reported.

"He said that participation of Japan Self-Defense Forces in the Sea Breeze 2020 exercise should become an important factor in this process," reads the statement.

The sides also determined the key directions of international military cooperation between Ukraine and Japan and agreed to continue mutually beneficial cooperation in this field.

They also discussed the issue of countering hybrid threats. The Ukrainian side stressed the importance of sharing experience taking into account the general character of the existing challenges and threats.

"During the meeting, the Japanese delegation was informed about the militarization of the Crimean peninsula, which was occupied by Russia, and its [Russia's] destabilizing activities in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea," the ministry said.

Defense Minister of Ukraine Andriy Zahorodniuk thanked Japan for its sustainable support and aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also stressed the necessity to continue the military and political dialogue between the countries, which has been intensified in recent years.