Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Japan is an important partner of India and expressed confidence that ties between New Delhi and Tokyo will grow even stronger in the years ahead, with technology partnership emerging as the strongest pillar of bilateral cooperation.
Following his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi wrote on X: “It is wonderful to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Delhi. Japan is an important partner of India, and we are confident that our ties will grow even stronger in the years to come. Our talks today covered the full spectrum of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The key issues discussed included technology, innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), defence and security, pharmaceuticals, and more.”
“As far as economic linkages are concerned, our goal is clear… over the next ten years, we aim to secure 10 trillion yen in Japanese investment into India and double the number of Japanese companies operating in the country,” PM Modi added.
The two leaders held the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, during which they reviewed and strengthened the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation.
“Prime Minister Takaichi and I believe that technology partnership will become the strongest pillar of our cooperation. To realise this vision, we have today issued a Joint Statement in the field of AI. Several leading institutions from India’s AI ecosystem have also signed agreements with their Japanese counterparts today. We also discussed cooperation in energy, people-to-people ties, and education,” PM Modi said on X.
PM Takaichi also described India as an “important partner” for Japan in realising the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
“India is an important partner for Japan in realising FOIP. With an eye toward the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, Japan and India will contribute to the prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and, furthermore, the entire international community,” Takaichi wrote on X.
PM Takaichi said that the evolved version of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), which she advocates, and the Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR), championed by Prime Minister Modi, share the common objective of nurturing the Indo-Pacific into a region where freedom and prosperity can flourish.
During the meeting, the two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
IANS
