BRASILIA (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed Friday to strengthen efforts to combat climate change, including enhancing the protection of the Amazon rainforest.

During their talks in Brasilia, Kishida and Lula signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement on decarbonization and other environmental issues.

The Green Partnership Initiative agreement features financial contributions and assistance for regenerating degraded farmland to prevent deforestation and promote sustainable agriculture.

After the meeting, Kishida told a joint press briefing with Lula that Japan will "make a contribution to realizing carbon neutrality in the world." Lula called for more investment in clean energy businesses, saying climate change is a serious problem.

Japan is seeking to deepen relations with emerging and developing countries, collectively dubbed the Global South, and Brazil is seen as a key player among them, along with India and Indonesia.

The prime minister has said Japan is ready to work with Brazil, this year's chair of the Group of 20 major economies, to address global issues.

Brazil is slated to host the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP30, in 2025. Lula is eager to take steps to save the Amazon rainforest, often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth."

Kishida on Friday offered Japan's cooperation in efforts to protect the rainforest in the northern Amazon region, including a contribution to a fund for that end.

The leaders agreed to make efforts to spur measures for decarbonization such as joint projects using Brazil's biofuel technology and Japan's hybrid engines, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Kishida and Lula also agreed to cooperate more closely in the defense and cybersecurity fields as well as on reform of the U.N. Security Council, according to a separate statement.

They shared concerns about the situations surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Later Friday, Kishida met with Paraguayan President Santiago Pena in Asuncion and affirmed their understanding that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force are unacceptable at a time when China is increasing its military pressure on Taiwan.

In a joint press conference after the meeting, Kishida called Paraguay an important partner that shares fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and vowed to bring friendship and cooperation with the Latin American country to "new heights."

Pena said he hopes to further advance broad cooperation with Japan and referred to his country's diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Paraguay is the only South American nation that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan rather than China. Taiwan and China split in 1949 due to a civil war and have been separately governed since.