(AP) – Japan’s strict border restrictions will be loosened next month, the prime minister announced Thursday, allowing tourists to easily enter for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

In a news conference at the foot of Central Park in New York, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said independent tourists would again be welcomed as of October 11, not just those traveling with authorized groups.

A cap on the number of tourists will also be lifted, as will new visa requirements that were imposed in response to the pandemic.

Kishida was speaking on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

In other remarks, he called for reform of the U.N. Security Council and dismissed any skepticism about Japan’s increased military spending, assuring that the intensions are not to raise tensions in the region. He said he is motivated to reinforce Japan’s defense capabilities.

“Witnessing Russia’s aggression of Ukraine, I, myself, have a strong sense of crisis that: Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida said.

When asked if Japan would join the U.S. in the event that China were to invade Taiwan, Kishida assured it remained a “peace-loving nation.”

“Our basic position is not to pursue confrontation and seek the establishment of a stable international order through dialogue. However, at the same time, we must be prepared for the emergence of an entity that tramples on the peace and security of other countries by force or threat without honoring the rules,” he said, reiterating that “such preparedness shall lead to deterrence.”