Nearly 18 months after Japan and Britain struck a deal to jointly develop weapons and defense equipment, security experts from both nations gathered in Tokyo Monday to discuss ways to expand that to maritime security, cybersecurity and military equipment.

The two-day conference on Japan-U.K. future security cooperation kicked off with Prince Andrew's and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's opening remarks, with both stressing the importance of bolstering the partnership to make it more relevant to the needs of the 21st century.

"Britain and Japan have become partners to cooperate together to secure safety of the high seas," Abe said, referring to both the Royal Navy's and the Self-Defense Forces' joint operation to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.