Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe have agreed to boost cooperation to ensure freedom of sea navigation.

The leaders met in Tokyo on Wednesday. Sri Lanka is situated in a key area of sea lanes in the Indian Ocean, NHK reported.
Abe said Japan hopes to support the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region by securing a free and open maritime order.Wickremesinghe mentioned the importance of relations with Japan. He said stability in the east and west of the Indian Ocean is vital for Sri Lanka's development. 
In view of China's increasing maritime activities, both leaders agreed to boost maritime cooperation based on Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy." It aims to improve connectivity to promote the stability and prosperity of the region.The prime ministers also agreed to work together on the threat of North Korea's development of nuclear arms and missiles.

Source: QNA