Flags of Japan and Mongolia. (Image via Montsame News Agency)

Japan, Mongolia down for FOIP

On Friday, both the Foreign Minister of Japan and Mongolia agreed to help each other in promoting the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP) regional initiative, a vision proposed by Japan and the United States (U.S) and other like-minded countries to tackle China's growing assertiveness in the region and restore its stability.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi went to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, to discuss the FOIP with his Mongolian counterpart, Nyamtseren Enkhtaivan. Motegi and Enkhtaivan then pledged to further the cooperation between Japan and Mongolia in achieving the true concept of FOIP, agreeing to step up security, medical, and economic cooperation. Japan then agreed to help pandemic-hit Mongolia by lending $235 million for its economic recovery and medical equipment fund.

After Tuesday's Quad meeting, Motegi and Pompeo agreed with their counterparts from Australia and India to gather like-minded countries to support the FOIP's concept of security and economic cooperation in ensuring open sea lanes to the Middle East, as China currently claims most of the South China Sea.

Motegi visited Mongolia after the U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, decided to cancel his trip because the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had contracted the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Pompeo managed to attend the talks between four Foreign Minister grouping in Tokyo, called the "Quad Group" meeting.

Source: https://bit.ly/36QJfRS