Tokyo, Jan 19 (NationPress) India's Ambassador-designate to Japan, Nagma Mallick, met with Japan's Minister of Economic Security in Tokyo this past Monday. They explored various dimensions of their bilateral partnership, encompassing Economic Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cultural ties.

According to a post from the Indian Embassy in Japan on X, Ambassador Nagma M Mallick engaged with Minister Onoda Kimi to discuss different aspects of the India-Japan partnership, focusing particularly on Economic Security, AI, and cultural relationships.

In a related development, last week, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi co-chaired the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi. They deliberated on crucial areas such as economic relations, maritime security, supply chain stability, critical minerals, technology, as well as people-to-people (P2P) and multilateral collaborations.

EAM Jaishankar expressed his satisfaction over co-chairing the dialogue, stating, “Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership is on an upward trajectory and holds immense potential for shaping the world order and de-risking the international economy,” as he posted on X.

He further commented, “Today’s discussions on deeper economic, maritime, supply chain, critical minerals, technology, P2P, and multilateral cooperation reflected our shared interests and mutual understanding.” They also exchanged viewpoints on the Indo-Pacific and other regional and global developments.

Prior to this, Toshimitsu Motegi had a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, where he emphasized that both Japan and India are “natural partners” that share fundamental values and strategic interests. The meeting lasted approximately 50 minutes, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

During the meeting, Minister Motegi reiterated that Japan and India are 'natural partners' and expressed hope for mutual efforts towards a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' based on their robust bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Modi welcomed this visit and expressed his desire to enhance cooperation under the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The two nations also agreed to bolster their bilateral exchanges in 2027, marking the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The “Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade”, announced during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Japan last August, served as a backdrop for their candid discussions on security, economic security, investments, innovation—including AI—and people-to-people exchanges, aiming to elevate Japan-India relations to new heights.