Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mogi met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Paris on Monday, exchanging views on Washington's designation of International Criminal Court officials for sanctions, Kyodo News reported.
Mogi conveyed Japan's position of placing weight on the rule of law, according to Kyodo News. The meeting was the first time the two countries' foreign ministers had met one-on-one since the US midterm elections, in which the Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat.
The court is led by President Tomoko Akane. Washington has moved to place its officials on a sanctions list.
Alliance cooperation
Citing an increasingly severe security environment, the two agreed to push forward cooperation on strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. They also confirmed close coordination on international issues the two countries have discussed.
Earlier, Mogi held talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.