Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described Japan as a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy and held that India’s relationship with it as “a key component of our vision for Indo-Pacific for peace, stability and prosperity of the region”.
Modi made the remarks at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Taro Kono, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The two Japanese Ministers are here to attend the first edition of Indo-Japan defence and foreign ministerial dialogue.
Both the countries are trying to develop close strategic approach in view of China’s fast expanding military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region, triggering concern in various countries of the region and beyond. Japan has been in the priority list of Modi which he visited first after becoming Prime Minister in 2014
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held talks with his Japanese counterpart on a range of strategic issues including the evolving security scenario in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting took place ahead of the first edition of defence and foreign ministerial talks between the two countries.
In his meeting with Japanese Ministers Modi stressed the importance of all-round development in India-Japan relations for the benefit of people of the two countries as well as the region and the world, the MEA said.
Modi also conveyed to the two Japanese Ministers that he was looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India for India-Japan annual summit next month.
“The Prime Minister added that India’s relationship with Japan was a key component of our vision for Indo-Pacific for peace, stability and prosperity of the region, as well as a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy,” the MEA said.
The Indo-Japan defence and foreign ministerial talks under the new two-plus-two framework are taking place following a decision taken by Modi and Abe during the 13th India-Japan annual summit last year.
The two leaders decided to institute the new mechanism for further deepening bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.
In his meeting with Motegi and Kono, Modi also said that regular high-level exchanges between the two countries are a testimony to the depth and strength of the relationship.
The Prime Minister said that the two-plus-two dialogue will further deepen bilateral strategic, security and defence cooperation.
Rajnath and his Japanese counterpart, in their deliberations, according to officials, touched on key facets of Indo-Japan defence and security cooperation as well as reviewed the evolving security scenario in the Indo-Pacific region.
In the Singh-Kono meeting, both sides also decided to further ramp up maritime security cooperation, officials said.
India, Japan and the US have been part of the annual Malabar maritime exercise which is aimed at achieving greater inter-operability among the navies of the three countries.
It is understood that the two sides have deliberated on the long-pending issue of supply of the US-2 amphibious aircraft by Japan to India.
The two Ministers discussed deepening ties in development of weapons and military hardware under the technology transfer framework, according to officials. The two strategic partners have already decided to go for joint development of military platforms.
China’s military moves in Indo-Pacific has in the recent past also caught attention of the US too which has advocated joint efforts to counter Chinese influence in the region.
Besides Japan, India has been factoring Vietnam in evolving a comprehensive approach to protect interests of the countries around the Indo-pacific space.