KUALA LUMPUR (Kyodo) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Monday that he will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Tokyo the following day.

After attending a series of ASEAN-related gatherings in Kuala Lumpur, Motegi told an online press conference that his meeting with Rubio will follow summit talks between new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Motegi added he will be present when Takaichi and Trump meet. He made a brief trip to the Malaysian capital for the second day of the three-day ASEAN gatherings on behalf of Takaichi, who returned home early to host Trump.

The summit comes just a week after Takaichi was elected Japan's first female leader. It is very positive for Japan and Takaichi to have a chance to meet Trump "this early," Motegi said. "I hope the two leaders will build trust and have a good relationship."

Takaichi's ties to slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to help her get along with Trump, political pundits said.

During a speech in Tokyo earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass described Trump's relationship with Abe as "his greatest personal relationship" while he was in office from 2017 to 2021, overlapping with Abe's second administration.

Motegi and Rubio are expected to reaffirm the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance while discussing ways to address security challenges posed by China and North Korea.

The Japanese foreign minister, briefing reporters on his participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings, said he called on regional leaders to work together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.