New Delhi
22 August 2007
India and Japan on Wednesday agreed to broaden and deepen
strategic dialogue at various levels and to add a new dimension to their political,
security and defence cooperation. The two sides also agreed to lay down a roadmap for
giving a new dimension to their strategic and global partnership.
"We have today agreed to lay down a roadmap to impart a new dimension to strategic
and global partnership between the two countries," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said
at a joint news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after the
delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House.
The joint statement on the "Roadmap for New Dimensions to the Strategic and Global
Partnership" dealt at considerable length on a comprehensive and forward-looking vision
of how the two countries could move forward.
It read: "The two leaders recognised that India and Japan share common interests in
such fields as maintaining the safety and security of sea lanes in the Asia Pacific and
the Indian Ocean regions, and fighting against transnational crimes, terrorism, piracy
and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
The joint statement said that the foreign minister of Japan will visit India for the second
Strategic Dialogue in 2008 before the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Japan.
On strengthening defence exchange, both sides agreed to steadily and qualitatively
upgrade cooperation including "information sharing in important areas of mutual interest,
technical exchange, joint exercises and training and talks between the services." India
and Japan also reaffirmed their intention to enhance cooperation in maritime security
through combined exercises and to hold regular meetings of heads of the two Coast
Guards.
A joint statement on the "Enhancement of Cooperation on Environmental Protection and
Energy Security" was also signed on the occasion.
Earlier in the day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in his address to Parliament,
quoted extensively from the writings of Vivekananda. He began with these words of
Swami Vivekananda: "The different streams, having their sources in different places, all
mingle their water in the sea."
In his address, titled "Confluence of the Two Seas", Mr Abe went on to observe: "The
Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of
freedom and of prosperity. A 'broader Asia' that broke away geographical boundaries is
now beginning to take on a distinct form. Our two countries have the ability -- and the
responsibility -- to ensure that it broadens yet further and to nurture and enrich these
seas to become seas of clearest transparence."
He added: "By Japan and India coming together in this way, this 'broader Asia' will
evolve into an immense network spanning the entirety of the Pacific Ocean, incorporating
the United States of America and Australia."
Mr Abe also said that over the next five years, Japan will welcome 500 Indian youths
every year out of which about 100 will be allocated for those studying Japanese or
teaching Japanese.
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