India, Japan hold strategic dialogue, call or free, open, inclusive India-Pacific region

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Wednesday participated in the India-Japan Strategic Dialogue, during which they discussed cooperation in manufacturing, skills, infrastructure and health sectors, reaffirming the similarities in their respective India-Pacific visions, that are based on rule of law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During the 13th India-Japan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, the two ministers exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed that the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries will play a pivotal role in overcoming challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jaishankar is in Tokyo to attend the foreign ministers meeting of India, the US, Australia and Japan, which was held yesterday.

"Reaffirming the mutual trust and shared values, they reviewed the progress made in India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and discussed convergence in various areas, including maritime security, trade and investment, manufacturing, skill development, connectivity and infrastructure, health and wellness, Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI) and UN Reforms," a statement by Ministry of External Affairs read.

Jaishankar and Motegi emphasised that a free, open and inclusive India-Pacific region must be premised on diversified and resilient supply chains.

"The two ministers concurred that the Indo-Pacific region has acquired greater salience in recent times and underscored the need for India and Japan to work together for the benefit of the region. Reaffirming the similarities in their respective Indo-Pacific visions, that are based on rule of law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Japanese side agreed to be the lead partner in the connectivity pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI) and jointly take both countries' respective visions for the Indo-Pacific forward," the statement read.

The two ministers welcomed the finalisation of the text of the cybersecurity agreement. The agreement promotes cooperation in capacity building, research and development, security and resilience in the areas of Critical Information Infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others.

"India and Japan recognizing the increasing role being played by digital technologies, the two ministers highlighted the need for robust and resilient digital and cyber systems and in this context, welcomed the finalization of the text of the cybersecurity agreement," the statement read.

The two ministers wished each other the very best and looked forward to the conduct of the next Annual Bilateral Summit in India at a mutually convenient time for the two Prime Ministers.

(ANI)

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