Japanese foreign, defense ministers arrive for 2+2 dialogue

Japanese ministers of foreign affairs and defense are in New Delhi for the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 foreign and defense ministerial meetings.

Japanese foreign minister Kamikawa Yoko and defence minister Kihara Minoru met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, along with their respective Indian counterparts S. Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.

In a post on X late Monday, Modi posted, “Delighted to meet Japanese Foreign Minister @Kamikawa_Yokoand Defense Minister @kihara_minoru ahead of the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting. Took stock of the progress made in India-Japan defense and security ties. Reaffirmed India-Japan partnership’s role in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

Delighted to meet Japanese Foreign Minister @Kamikawa_Yoko and Defense Minister @kihara_minoru ahead of the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting. Took stock of the progress made in India-Japan defense and security ties. Reaffirmed the role India-Japan… pic.twitter.com/QE4euOoy0d

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2024

Citing “Japan and India’s great responsibility for the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and international society,” Japanese foreign minister Kamikawa said both countries should “co-create” new solutions to various issues that global society is facing.

Kamikawa said “cooperation in the security field is an essential pillar of the Indo-Japanese partnership,” and expressed her desire to develop economic and development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Japanese defense minister Kihara said that the ongoing security cooperation between Tokyo and Delhi highlights its importance, while requesting continued collaboration from Prime Minister Modi.

Kihara highlighted the importance of advancing bilateral security and defense cooperation and continued joint training, defense equipment, and technology cooperation.

Kamikawa and Kihara are scheduled to hold the third round of the India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting at the Hyderabad House on Tuesday evening.

During Modi’s bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister  Fumio Kishida earlier in June on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, the former had assured that bilateral ties with Japan would remain a priority in his third term.

The two leaders noted that the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership is in its 10th year and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the relationship. They had also discussed ways to deepen cooperation further, add emerging areas, and strengthen B2B and P2P cooperation.

India and Japan are collaborating in several areas, including the landmark Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, which will usher in the next stage in mobility in India, the targeted five trillion-yen worth of Japanese investment in India in the 2022-2027 period, and the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership, which aims to transform our manufacturing cooperation.