Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed Thursday to support each other's candidacies for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.
Last month, a U.N. panel proposed two options for expanding the Security Council to 24 members from the current 15. But neither option would add new veto-wielding members.
Speaking at an economic forum earlier in the day, Schroeder said new members should have equal status concerning veto rights. It is the first time Schroeder has mentioned this issue.