New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held the 15th India-Japan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday when the leaders reviewed the progress made in the relationship between the two nations.

The Ministers engaged in comprehensive discussions covering a wide range of issues of bilateral, regional, and global significance.

"They highlighted the importance of further strengthening India-Japan partnership based on shared values and principles," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Ministers emphasized the importance of achieving the target of JPY 5 trillion Japanese investment in India in the period 2022-27.

"They explored potential areas of collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors; resilient supply chains; and digital public infrastructure, among others," read the statement.

The Ministers also expressed satisfaction with the strengthening defense and security cooperation, including regular exercises and staff talks between all three services. In this context, they discussed way forward to deepen Defense Equipment and Technology Cooperation.

The Ministers exchanged views on regional and global issues of interest. They emphasized the crucial role of strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and rules-based.

The Ministers also discussed cooperation under multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, including Quad.

They agreed on the need for early reforms of the UNSC. They also exchanged views on their respective G20 and G7 presidencies.

Noting the celebration of 2023 as the Year of India-Japan Tourism Exchanges with the theme of ‘Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji’, the Ministers acknowledged the importance of people-to-people exchanges.

They also discussed ways to promote movement of skilled human resources from India to Japan.

The India-Japan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to strengthen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The meeting further deepened bilateral cooperation and set the stage for enhanced collaboration on regional and global issues.