The Japanese government said Monday that it will host an international meeting in Tokyo later this month to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, dpa reported.
The Friends of Syria group of European countries, the United States and Arab countries will discuss sanctions against the regime for its continued violent crackdown on opposition, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said.
The previous and fourth such meeting was held in the Netherlands in September, where more than 60 countries took part.
Japan joined European countries and the US in freezing the assets of Syria's president and military leaders in the country since September 2011.