Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on the sidelines of the G20 summit and they discussed bilateral cooperation in areas such as innovation, defense and talent mobility.
“We had a productive meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. We discussed ways to increase the momentum of bilateral cooperation in areas like innovation, defence, talent mobility and more,” PM Modi said on social media.
The two leaders also discussed ways to strengthen trade ties.
“We also seek to strengthen trade ties between our nations. A strong India-Japan partnership is vital for a better planet,” Modi added.
According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which is based on “civilizational connectivity, shared values, mutual goodwill and commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
The leaders also emphasized their commitment to deepen the India-Japan partnership for regional and global peace, prosperity and stability, they said.
Acknowledging the steady progress made in bilateral relations during the 15th annual India-Japan Summit, the leaders called for the speedy implementation of the outcomes agreed in a wide range of areas such as defense and security, trade and investment, small and medium enterprises, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, semiconductors, infrastructure development, technology and innovation and people-to-people exchange.
They also discussed opportunities for cooperation between India and Japan in strategic sectors and exchanged views on regional and global issues, the statement added.
Prime Minister Takaichi also expressed strong support for an AI summit to be hosted by India in February 2026.
It was the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Takaichi since she took over the leadership of her country in October.
Prime Minister Modi visited Japan in August this year.
During his visit, India and Japan confirmed 13 key agreements and declarations and announced the launch of several transformative initiatives.
Both countries have adopted a common vision of India and Japan for the next decade. Following the significant progress made towards the target of JPY 5 trillion in public and private investment from Japan to India for the period 2022-2026, a new ambitious private investment target of JPY 10 trillion (US$68 billion) has been set for the near future.
The vision underscores the growing strategic linkages between the two nations, particularly in the area of clean energy and emerging technologies.
