Sushma Swaraj with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. (File)
India and Japan on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in New Delhi.
"The leaders reaffirmed that based on shared values and interests, the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership has acquired a broader significance in the current global context and has become a factor of prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia revived a quad that seeks to work for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, a region that stretches from the east coast of Japan to the east coast of Africa.
It was a strategically important move given China's growing footprint in the region and Beijing's aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea.
During Monday's talks, Sushma Swaraj and her Japanese counterpart followed-up on decisions taken during Prime Minister Narendra Mod's visit to Japan for the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit in October last year.
Following the meeting, the Japanese Foreign Minister Kono briefed the Prime Minister about the follow-up action after his visit.
"The Prime Minister warmly recalled his successful visit to Japan in October 2018, and reiterated his strong commitment to further deepen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.