Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, agreed Friday to deepen bilateral relations through Kuala Lumpur's "Look East" economic development policy, which is heavily modeled after Japan.
During their meeting in Tokyo, Abe and Mahathir agreed to step up cooperation in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific region based on the rule of law, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
"The 'Look East' policy has been the beacon leading Japan and Malaysia to strengthen friendship and enhance bilateral ties," Abe told Mahathir at the start of their talks.