PM Modi meets Japan’s foreign and defence ministers, says ties with Japan key to stability in Indo-Pacific region

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India’s relationship with Japan is a key component of its vision for peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

He 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.

In the meeting, the prime minister 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.

Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his counterpart Motegi and discussed issues of bilateral and regional importance.

Both India and Japan have been pushing for formulating a broad and comprehensive approach for the Indo-Pacific region for regional peace, prosperity and stability.

China has been fast expanding military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region, triggering concern in various countries of the region and beyond.

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 the 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.