India, Japan mull joint work in tech, strategy, culture

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) – Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said that Japan is a natural partner in India's modernization process.

Speaking on the sidelines of India-Japan Forum in New Delhi, Jaishankar said that they explored potential areas of collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, resilient supply chains and digital public infrastructure, among others.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that India is an indispensable partner to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

He further said that Tokyo would like to further expand cooperation in the region with New Delhi.

Hayashi arrived on Thursday on a two-day visit to New Delhi to bolster Indo-Japan strategic ties.

On Thursday, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal asked Japan and South Korea to renegotiate their free-trade agreements (FTAs) to make it "more balanced and equitable."

At an event in New Delhi, according to CNBCTV18.com, he said: "Japan and Korea - we opened our markets for them. They have not allowed our exports to their country… What it was 10 years ago, it is the same today with Japan."

India’s exports to Japan stood at $6.2 billion in 2022 in comparison to imports of $14.4 billion.

Japan and India are part of the US-led Quad, which includes Australia as well, and is a security alliance formed to contain China in the region.

Earlier this year, India and Japan held their first-ever joint air drills amid attempts to counter China’s expanding economic and military influence in the wider Asia-Pacific region.

In the past, Japanese ground and maritime self-defense forces also held joint drills with their Indian counterparts.