Vikram Misri meets Japan’s Takehiro Funakoshi in Delhi

New Delhi

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Japan’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takehiro Funakoshi, in New Delhi on Monday for the India-Japan Foreign Secretary–Vice Minister Dialogue. The meeting highlighted the deepening Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries, focusing on peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Both leaders reviewed the wide-ranging India-Japan relationship, discussing areas such as political and defence ties, economic security, trade, infrastructure, technology, and cultural exchanges. They also exchanged views on important global and regional developments.

The dialogue served as a platform to assess ongoing projects, identify new areas of cooperation, and strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two nations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in bilateral engagements.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared on X that the meeting explored ways to expand cooperation and reflected on shared global interests.

India and Japan enjoy a unique strategic relationship rooted in historical and cultural connections. Their ties were first elevated to a Global Partnership in 2000, followed by a Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006, and finally a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014.

Since 2006, regular annual summits have strengthened this bond. In 2022, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida visited India for the 14th annual summit, leading to a joint statement on a peaceful and stable post-COVID world. He returned in 2023, delivering a policy address outlining Japan’s vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.