New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo on the sidelines of the Quad ministerial meeting.
The External Affairs Minister took to the twitter and said that the talks covered cooperation in areas of manufacturing, skill development, infrastructure, information and communication technology and health.
He also said that the "special partnership" between India and Japan can make a big difference in post-COVID recovery.
The security dialogue took place a day after talks among the foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral coalition comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia.
“Explored further expansion of our third country collaboration, with a focus on development projects. Reviewed global situation and development pertaining to UN reform. Our shared commitment can help realize stability, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar tweeted.
Reaffirming the mutual trust and shared values, both the countries 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, the MEA said in a statement.
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Recognizing the increasing role being played by digital technologies, the two counterparts 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 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.
During the strategic dialogue, Jaishankar and Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi 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.
They emphasized that a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region must be premised on diversified and resilient supply chains; and in this context, welcomed the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative between India, Japan, Australia and other like-minded countries, the MEA informed.
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.
It is worth noting that the two countries are also cooperating in developing 5G technology in an apparent attempt to counter China's growing prowess in the area.
It is also learnt that Motegi and Jaishankar are also understood to have discussed preparations for the annual India-Japan summit which is likely to take place by the end of this year.
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