PM Modi and Japan PM Suga reaffirm their commitment to the free and open Indo-Pacific ahead of the Quad meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, as they reviewed multi-faceted bilateral relations and exchanged views on recent global developments, including in Afghanistan, ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting hosted by US President Joe Biden.

During their meeting here Thursday, the two prime ministers agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in security and defense, including in the field of defense equipment and technologies, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry (MEA ).

Prime Minister Modi thanked Suga for his personal commitment and leadership, both as Prime Minister and Chief Secretary to the Cabinet, in enabling great strides in the special India-Japan strategic and global partnership in recent years. , did he declare.

“The two Prime Ministers reviewed the multifaceted relationship between the two countries and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan. They reaffirmed their commitment to an Indo region. peaceful free, open and inclusive, â€he said.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the growing economic engagement between the two countries.

“Continued friendship with Japan,” MEA said in a tweet after the meeting.

“Prime ministers @narendramodi and @sugawitter had a fruitful meeting in Washington DC. The two leaders had discussions on several issues, including how to give new impetus to trade and cultural ties,” he said. declared.

“Discussed a range of issues: Indo-Pacific, regional developments, supply chain resilience, trade, digital economy and P2P links,†the MEA said in another tweet.

A special strategic and global partnership with Japan, firmly rooted in history and based on shared values, he added.

They welcomed the launch of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) between India, Japan and Australia earlier this year as a collaborative mechanism to enable resilient, diverse and trustworthy supply chains, according to the press release.

Prime Minister Modi stressed the need to develop bilateral partnerships in manufacturing, MSMEs and skills development.

Prime Minister Suga informed Modi that in order to implement the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Agreement which was signed earlier this year, the Japanese side will undertake skills and language testing in India from early 2022, he said.

They discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to address it and highlighted the growing importance of digital technologies and, in this regard, positively assessed the progress of the India-Japan digital partnership, especially in start-ups. -up.

The two leaders exchanged views on further collaboration in various emerging technologies. Discussions also took place on climate change and green energy transition issues, and Japan’s potential for collaboration with India’s National Hydrogen Energy Mission, the statement said.

The two prime ministers reaffirmed their commitment to push forward efforts to facilitate the smooth and on-time implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed ​​Train (MAHSR) project.

They also welcomed the progress made in bilateral development projects in the northeast region of India under the Eastern Forum of the India-Japan Act, and noted opportunities for further strengthening this cooperation, he said.

Prime Minister Suga said he was convinced that the strong momentum achieved by the Indo-Japanese partnership in recent years would continue even under the new Japanese administration.

Modi said he looks forward to welcoming the next Prime Minister of Japan to India for the annual India-Japan Summit in the near future.

Modi and Suga spoke in April this year, and the two leaders stressed the importance of working together to create resilient, diverse and reliable supply chains, ensure a reliable supply of critical materials and technologies, and develop new partnerships in manufacturing and skills development to deal with crises.

Suga had canceled a planned visit to India at the end of April due to the coronavirus situation.

Speaking after practically inaugurating a Japanese Zen garden and Kaizen Academy set up on the premises of the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) in June, Modi had described Suga as a very direct person.

“Prime Minister Suga and I believe that during this pandemic COVID-19 crisis, the Indo-Japanese friendship and our partnership has become even more relevant to global stability and prosperity. Today, as we face many global challenges, it is the need for a time when our friendship and our relationships are getting stronger day by day, “Modi said.

He said that efforts such as the creation of the Kaizen Academy are a beautiful reflection of this relationship.

Modi said the launch of the Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy is a “symbol of the spontaneity and modernity of Indo-Japanese relations.”