The agriculture ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to strengthen cooperation to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in livestock.

The agreement was included in a joint statement adopted in South Korea on Monday.

The ministers agreed to hold regular meetings of the three countries' "chief veterinary officers." They also called for joint studies, the sharing of disease control techniques and exchanges among animal disease experts.

Cooperation among the three countries is considered essential to preventing the cross-border spread of African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza and other infectious diseases.

Japanese authorities are highly vigilant against African swine fever, which has never been reported domestically but has been detected in China and South Korea in the past.

Bird flu outbreaks have also dealt major blows to livestock farmers. The virus is believed to be transmitted by migratory birds from the continent.