TOKYO, Japan — Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio lauded the "further advancement of communication at various levels" between Manila and Tokyo, saying his country gives great importance to its cooperation with the Philippines.

Kishida said this during his meeting with Marcos at the Prime Minister's Office here on Thursday evening, Feb. 9.

“Japan attaches great importance to cooperation with the Philippines and neighboring maritime nations and in the Pacific to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law,” he said.

"And I highly appreciate the further advancement of communication at various levels between Japan and the Philippines on a wide range of deals including economic and security issues,” he added.

The Japanese leader was referring to the seven bilateral deals signed in Thursday's meeting.

For his part, President Marcos said the exchange of high-level visits between Manila and Tokyo is one of the facets of the Philippines-Japan ties.

“ one of the main features of our relations and is a testament to the very deep level of friendship that we have enjoyed for almost seven decades now," he said.

According to Marcos, the current rapid technological advances in agriculture, space, cybertechnology, health, energy, and other areas present many opportunities for cooperation.

He added that he was looking forward to celebrating many new milestones with Japan under his administration "as we continue our efforts to further strengthen our long-standing cooperation in an ever-expanding field of mutual interest."

“ optimistic that our common resolve and forward-looking aspiration for both our countries and peoples will serve as a beacon as we craft new pathways towards peace-building and a better life for all,” the President said.

The seven agreements signed earlier cover various areas of mutual cooperation including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, infrastructure, agriculture, and digital cooperation.