New Zealand and Japan have agreed to boost their development co-operation in the Pacific Islands region.
Photo: RNZ / Leilani Momoisea
This was announced by New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, after talks with her Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo.
Ms Ardern said the two countries would develop a joint declaration on Pacific co-operation.
"My hope is that this will be issued by our foreign ministers later this year," she said.
"Together we are working towards projects which support Pacific priorities and complementary strengths such as renewable energy, climate change, infrastructure and addressing fisheries and maritime needs."
Ms Ardern also said the two countries intended to work together on women's empowerment through trade.
Japan and New Zealand are already cooperating as part of a project to deliver electricity to 70 percent of Papua New Guinea households by 2030.
"In a challenging and changing global and regional environment New Zealand and Japan enjoy a stable long-term relationship that in recent years has gone from strength to strength," Ms Ardern said.
Echoing this, Mr Abe paid tribute to the two countries' collaboration "toward a free and open Indo-Pacific".