Indo-Pacific region, defence cooperation high on Modi-Abe agenda: Envoy

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and in the defence and security sector will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will hold their annual bilateral summit this month, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu said on Friday.

Modi will be visiting Japan on October 28-29 in what will be his third visit for the annual bilateral summit. India is the only country with which Japan holds an annual bilateral summit while India holds a similar summit with Russia too.

Speaking at a briefing organised by the think-tank Brookings India here, Hiramatsu referred to Modi’s statement that Japan is the cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy. He recalled the joint statement issued following last year’s annual bilateral summit in India which called for a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

“I am sure in the (upcoming) meeting, the two leaders will discuss the region in more concrete terms,” Hiramatsu said. Last year, a quad comprising India, Japan, the US and Australia was revived that seeks to work for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. “The quad had a second meeting in June this year and the process is steadily growing,” the Ambassador said.