Takaichi, Modi Agree to Deepen Japan-India Strategic Cooperation

New Delhi, July 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at their meeting in New Delhi on Thursday agreed to deepen the two countries’ strategic cooperation. A joint document adopted at the bilateral summit calls for economic security cooperation, such as for the procurement of rare earths and other critical minerals, apparently with China’s growing economic coercion in mind. Takaichi, now on a three-day visit to India from Wednesday, and Modi also agreed to hold a two-plus-two meeting of the two nations’ foreign and defense ministers by the end of the year. A document on about 120 projects on cooperation between Japanese and Indian companies, including around 2 trillion yen of investments, was announced on the sidelines of the summit. Japan indicated its willingness to support India’s efforts to reduce dependence on certain countries for rare earths and energy. Tokyo aims to deepen its ties with India, a leader of the Global South emerging and developing economies, by aligning their goals and efforts. The two leaders also agreed to work together on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. Modi said at a joint press conference that ensuring a free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the two countries’ priority objective. Takaichi’s visit to India is part of so-called shuttle diplomacy, or reciprocal visits by the two countries’ leaders. It is her first trip to the South Asian nation since she took office last October. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]