Japan FM Hayashi meets Zelenskyy during surprise visit to Ukraine

Rakuten chief among Japanese business delegation that took part in trip

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, welcomes Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Kyiv on Sept. 9. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

YUKI FUJITA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to start negotiations on a security pact during a meeting in Kyiv on Saturday.

The unannounced visit marked the first trip to Ukraine by a Japanese foreign minister since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Hayashi was on a tour that included Poland and Egypt.

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