Japan urged Myanmar's junta Friday to free people detained since the February 1 coup and restore democracy, during a meeting with the foreign ministers of five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River attended by Myanmar's military-appointed representative, according to Kyodo News.

Conveying concerns about the Myanmar military's nullification of the country's November general election, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi called for a dialogue among all parties concerned and "expressed his strong expectations for a constructive response from Myanmar," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

In the one-hour videoconference, Motegi reiterated Japan's support for ASEAN's initiative to implement a five-point consensus on how to deal with the crisis including an immediate end to violence, according to the ministry, according to the report.

On other regional issues, the Japanese foreign minister pledged additional medical support for the region on top of around 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and $68 million worth of medical equipment including oxygen concentrators, the ministry said.