LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Japan's foreign minister has discussed economic relations and cooperation with Slovenia as he met officials in the small European Union country as part of a tour that also includes visits to Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Wednesday held talks with Slovenia's Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and President Borut Pahor. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry says the visit was the first by a Japanese foreign minister since Slovenia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

The ministry said the two diplomats "exchanged views on the current situation in Asia, in particular regarding tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the U.S.-China trade dispute, as well as the situation in the western Balkans."

Cerar added that all opportunities for economic cooperation between the two nations "have not yet been sufficiently exploited."