New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Emphasising the need for deeper bilateral cooperation amid growing global uncertainty, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday said that Japan and India should build on their respective strengths to achieve shared prosperity.

Addressing a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, the Japanese PM extended gratitude for the warm hospitality and expressed joy on PM Modi’s affectionate reference to her as a “beautiful younger sister”.

She added that both nations are aligned in their outlook and committed to strengthening ties “as brother and sister”.

“Japan and India must leverage our respective strengths to become stronger and more prosperous together. In the midst of international affairs in disarray, the establishment of such an inter-complementary cooperative relationship has become ever more important,” Takaichi stated.

She noted that the two leaders discussed a broad range of issues, reaffirming the many common goals that define the partnership. In this context, she said they identified three central areas to guide their cooperation.

“First, to deepen the strategic cooperation between Japan and India. Our two countries share the vision on the profile of international order we should establish under the current international situation. I recently announced the updated FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific), which focuses on self-reliance and resilience to realise FOIP,” said Takaichi.

“On the other hand, Prime Minister Modi positions the ocean as a shared space that supports regional stability and growth and is promoting the MAHASAGAR, the Great Ocean Initiative, for countries across the Indian Ocean to defend their sovereignty and the sea through their own efforts, which is perfectly aligned with FOIP,” she added.

The Japanese PM further said that both sides also agreed to deepen the strategic cooperation to achieve the common goals.

“Expansion of maritime security cooperation is especially important for regional peace and stability. Taking the opportunity of our visit, a destroyer of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force and an Indian Navy vessel are planning to engage in a joint exercise. We will enhance exercises in the Indian Ocean, promote naval maintenance, repair, and overhaul cooperation, and strengthen equipment cooperation under the Make in India framework,” she noted.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s Viksit Bharat initiative aimed at transforming India into a developed nation by 2047 and his strong emphasis on driving growth, Takaichi said that India and Japan share the goal of making their nations stronger and more prosperous through future-focused investments.

As India and Japan prepare to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027, she said that under the India–Japan Special Strategic Global Partnership, and alongside her “big brother”, Prime Minister Modi, the relationship is set to move into a new phase.

“The 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and I would like to seize this opportunity to further bring closer together the people of our two countries. Under the India-Japan Special Strategic Global Partnership, as trusted partners that share strategic direction, together with my bigger brother, Prime Minister Modi, I believe the India-Japan relations are going forward to a new phase. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Modi in Japan next time,” Takaichi stressed.

–IANS

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