By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Japan Monday held their second 2+2 dialogue involving their defence and foreign ministry officials to expand security cooperation between the two countries. They also decided to hold a dialogue on cyber security.
In this unique dialogue 2+2 format, the Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, while the Japanese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki and Administrative Vice Defence Minister Hironori Kanazawa.
“The two sides briefed each other on their respective defence and security policies in the background of each country’s security environment,” the external affairs ministry said here after the talks in Tokyo.
“The two delegations also exchanged views on maritime, cyber and outer space security. They agreed to an early meeting of the new India-Japan Cyber Security Dialogue,” said the ministry.
Mathai also held foreign office consultations which reviewed a wide gamut of bilateral issues, including intensification of trade and investment and closer collaboration on a range of cross-cutting issues like energy, climate change and the global financial crisis.
The talks also firmed up the agenda for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Tokyo mid-November.
The 2+2 consultations were envisaged by the action plan to advance security cooperation concluded between the two countries in December 2009. The maiden 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in June 2010.