Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed in phone talks Friday to work closely together in efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The leaders affirmed close cooperation involving a British aircraft carrier strike group headed to the region, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.

The Queen Elizabeth is slated to make port calls in about 40 countries including Japan, India and South Korea, with plans for it to participate in joint exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

The deployment comes as Johnson is seeking to increase Britain's involvement in the Indo-Pacific, where the rapid expansion of China's military and economic influence has drawn concern from Western nations.

Johnson also thanked Suga for supporting Britain's aspiration to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an 11-member free trade agreement that Japan is chairing this year, and voiced support for the staging of a "safe and secure" Tokyo Olympics this summer, the ministry said.

The leaders also agreed to cooperate to make the Group of Seven summit to be held in Cornwall, southwestern England, next month a success.