Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed on Tuesday the need for WTO member states to restore the organization's role as an "attractive" platform for global trade amid growing international trade challenges.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry stated in a release that the discussions took place during a meeting between Ishiba and Okonjo-Iweala in Tokyo.

Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized, according to the statement, that amid rising tensions in international trade, the importance of a multilateral trade system—particularly the WTO—has become increasingly critical.

For her part, Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the significance of cooperation among WTO members and expressed her expectations for Japan's role in preserving and strengthening the trade system as a "champion of multilateral trade."