Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Friday in their first bilateral summit to push ahead with cooperation in trade and defense.

Meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven gathering in Taormina, Italy, Abe and Macron affirmed their commitment to reaching a broad agreement as soon as possible in trade negotiations between Japan and the European Union, according to a senior Japanese official who sat in on the talks.

They also agreed to push forward bilateral cooperation on defense, the official said.