The Philippines and Japan have agreed to work together closely on issues in the region as top diplomats of both countries met in Tokyo to follow up on the recent visit of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Tuesday exchanged views on matters of mutual interest for countries in the region, which included the situation in the East and South China Seas as well as "economic coercion," according to the Japanese Embassy in Manila. They also talked about the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the nuclear and missile launches initiated by North Korea, it added. "Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and preserving the rules-based order and good governance," the DFA added. "They also discussed ASEAN centrality, and the need to support institutions and mechanisms like the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum," it also said. In an earlier speech at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Manalo cited the Philippine relations with Japan. He said maritime cooperation will always be a key feature of their ties. "Being island states binds us in the common objective of keeping the seas of the Indo Pacific safe, secure and peaceful," he said. Thus, Manalo and Yoshimasa, who met at the sidelines of the Munich Leaders Meeting, both affirmed to work closely on such matters as both countries consider each other as allies.