Motegi and Blinken also agreed to cooperate closely to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Motegi said Japan has given the US high marks for taking the position that Article Five of the Japan-US Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands. This comes amid the increasingly severe security environment in East Asia.

Article Five obliges the United States to defend territories under Japan's administrative control.

Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.

Blinken stated that the US's position remains unchanged.

The two also agreed to quickly conclude the negotiations on the cost of deploying US forces in Japan.

They agreed to step up cooperation on multilateral issues, such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

Motegi and Blinken discussed the East and South China seas, where China has been increasing its maritime activities. They also talked about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Motegi confirmed that the US supports an early resolution to the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals. That issue is a top priority for Japan.

The two agreed to hold face-to-face talks at an early stage and coordinate the schedule for Motegi's visit to the United States.

After the discussion, Motegi said he was the second foreign minister to hold talks with Blinken, since the secretary of state was sworn in. Canada's foreign minister was the first. Motegi said this apparently shows that the Biden administration thinks the Japan-US alliance is important and is making its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region clear.