Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on Sunday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other issues.

They stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty of states and warned against the use of weapons of mass destruction as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, according to Kyodo News.

Both leaders called for an immediate cease-fire and the provision of humanitarian aid.

They also agreed to boost economic and security ties between the two countries.

"We'll strengthen bilateral ties in order to put the economies of both nations back on a clear recovery path in the wake of the coronavirus," Kishida told reporters after meeting with his counterpart.

Chinh said the two "agreed to boost cooperation in post-pandemic trade, strengthen supply chains and energy transition, in accordance with mutual interests.”

Japan is Vietnam's largest provider of official development aid and third-largest source of foreign direct investment. Bilateral trade rose by 8.4 percent last year to $42.9 billion, according to Vietnam customs data.

Kishida arrived in Hanoi on Saturday after wrapping up his visit to Indonesia on Friday. He will also visit Thailand before heading to Italy and Britain.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: In this file photo, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida bow in front of their national flags as they review a guard of honor ahead of a meeting at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2021. /Reuters)