By IANS,
New Delhi: India Wednesday conveyed to Japan that defence ties between the two countries will continue to be robust and that New Delhi attached great importance to its relations with Tokyo.
This was conveyed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony to visiting former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
“New Delhi will continue to promote defence ties with Japan,” Antony told Abe when the latter called on him.
Antony also stressed that India’s bilateral defence interaction with Japan will continue to be pursued.
“India attaches great importance to continue improvement of relations with Japan,” he added.
Abe expressed the view that cooperation between India and Japan was in the interest of both nations and in the interest of regional peace and security, a defence ministry release said.
At the delegation level talks, Abe was accompanied by representatives of Japan’s National Diet (parliament) and the Japan Institute of National Fundamentals.
The Indian delegation included Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, Special Secretary R.K. Mathur and Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) Director General N.S. Sisodia.
During the meeting, both sides noted with satisfaction the enhanced bilateral engagements between India and Japan in all spheres, including the defence sector.
Issues relating to regional and global security were also discussed during the meeting, the release added.