Japan, India confirm cooperation toward free and open Indo-Pacific

Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa met India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday.  They confirmed that as the two countries share basic values and strategic interests, they will work together to carry out a new plan to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio unveiled the plan when he visited India in March. The foreign ministers agreed that the public and private sectors will join hands to achieve the goal of Japan investing about 35.9 billion dollars, in India over five years. They also agreed to make progress in a project to lay a high-speed rail network in India, using Japan's Shinkansen bullet train technology.

The diplomats pledged to expedite security cooperation and increase exchanges of people, including tourists and students.