Tokyo- Toyota Motor Corp.  and Suzuki Motor Corp.  said Monday that they have signed a memorandum to start talks on collaborating in areas including the environment, safety and information technology.

The move followed the two Japanese automakers' announcement last October that they would explore ideas toward forming a business partnership. Toyota and Suzuki plan promptly to build organizations to promote the tie-up talks. "Our partnership with Toyota started today," Suzuki Vice Chairman Yasuhito Harayama declared at a press conference on Monday. The partnership will aim to "jointly contribute to the resolution of social issues and achievement of sound and sustainable development of an automobile-based society," Toyota and Suzuki said in a joint statement. In the statement, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said, "We want to cooperate toward enabling all people throughout the world to truly experience the joy of mobility and to achieving a society of future mobility full of smiles." Suzuki Chairman Osamu Suzuki expressed appreciation for Toyota's "enthusiastic" response to Suzuki's call for a business partnership as Suzuki was "concerned about the development of advanced technologies." (Jiji Press)