The foreign ministers of Japan and East Timor agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in developing basic infrastructure in the violence-wracked Southeast Asian nation, during talks Sunday on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings in Brunei, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres also agreed to make preparations for President Taur Matan Ruak to visit Japan by next March, according to the ministry.

After gaining independence in 2002, East Timor sought international assistance as it faced a full-scale collapse of civil order in 2006. The nation occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, whose western half is part of Indonesia.

During their meeting, Kishida praised the progress the East Timor has made in building the nation and said Japan will continue to provide economic support and help develop human resources by inviting youths to Japan.

While calling for more private-sector investment, Guterres expressed appreciation for Japan's assistance in the fields of infrastructure development and defense, according to the ministry. East Timor has also received help from the United Nations to ensure peace and stability.

East Timor is striving to become a member of the ASEAN framework, a bid that Kishida said Japan supports.