Japanese prime minister welcomes his Indian counterpart before the launch of formal talks in Tokyo on Monday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has welcomed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to Japan, hosting a private dinner at his villa near Mount Fuji to kick-off two days of talks on trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold formal talks in Tokyo on Monday that will also likely touch on China’s growing power in the region.
Abe himself had just returned from China, where he held talks with President Xi Jinping .
Abe and Modi are expected to issue a joint communique on strengthening security cooperation and measures aimed at pursuing a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” Kyodo News agency reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed Japanese foreign ministry official.
Their statement is expected to include improved cooperation between the two countries and the United States amid efforts to counter China’s expansion in the South China Sea.
Japan and India are set to hold their first joint military exercises involving ground forces in November.
“[We] will have a frank exchange of views and I’d like to deepen our cooperative ties for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” Abe said at a meeting of his Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday.
