(VOVWORLD) -Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed Thursday that the two nations will closely cooperate to maintain and reinforce the rules-based maritime order.
 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Hayashi told an online news conference following a meeting in Manila with Marcos that the two countries will bolster bilateral ties and resume people-to-people exchanges to boost post-pandemic economic recovery.
"It is essential to strengthen relations with the Philippines, our important strategic partner in the region, in the fields of national security and maritime safety toward a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Hayashi, adding that Tokyo will support Manila's efforts to upgrade its coast guard.