Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Adm. Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, agreed Tuesday to steadily implement revised cooperation guidelines to strengthen the Japan-U.S. defense alliance and secure peace and stability in Asia.

At their meeting in Tokyo, Abe and Harris agreed on the importance of working together with South Korea in dealing with North Korea's ballistic missile development efforts, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Abe told Harris that the security legislation and revisions to the bilateral guidelines last year have helped Japan and the United States to work more closely in responding to North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches, a development he called "encouraging."