The Japanese and Georgian foreign ministers agreed Friday to formally commence talks on a bilateral investment agreement, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

During their 35-minute talks in Tokyo, Fumio Kishida and Mikheil Janelidze also confirmed that Japan and Georgia, marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, will bolster broader economic cooperation, it said.

The envisioned agreement would eliminate obstacles to investment in the former Soviet republic, helping Japanese companies to tap the growing market, a ministry official said.

Georgia, whose major products include wine, mineral water and yogurt, ranks highly as an investment-friendly country in annual World Bank surveys, according to the official.