Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The two leaders met in Tokyo on Thursday evening. Marcos is visiting Japan for the first time since he took office last June.

At the beginning of the talks, Kishida said Japan views cooperation with the Philippines, which is a maritime country neighboring Japan, as being extremely important. He said he hopes discussions would be fruitful.

The two leaders shared the significance of maintaining international order based on the rule of law against the backdrop of China's increasing maritime activities in the South and East China seas.

Kishida and Marcos agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, including Japan's financial assistance for infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

They also agreed to step up security cooperation through joint exercises between the Philippine military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces and other measures.

Kishida told Marcos that Japan will provide public and private funds worth 600 billion yen, or about 4.6 billion dollars, by March 2024 to help promote economic growth of the Philippines.

Kishida later stated at a joint news conference that Japan aims to take bilateral relations to a higher level, and contribute further to peace and stability of the region and the world.