India, Japan Looking To Hold Their Second 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue Ahead Of PM Yoshihide Suga’s Proposed India Visit

In a move to further deepen the strong bilateral ties, India and Japan are looking to hold their second 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two nations' foreign and defence ministers ahead of Prime Minister (PM) Yoshihide Suga's proposed visit to India later this month, reports Times of India.

This development comes as Tokyo has been keen to upgrade its bilateral engagement with India at a time when it is facing Chinese intrusions in the East China Sea over the Japan-held uninhabited Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

With growing Chinese assertiveness across the region, Japan is looking towards India as a partner which shares the basic values and can help work towards ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The date of PM Suga's visit to India is still to be finalised and will be decided based on the COVID-19 situation. Meanwhile, he is set to meet with President Joseph Biden on 16 April when he travels to Washington in the coming days.

It should be noted that in his conversation with PM Narendra Modi ahead of the maiden Quad leader's summit held earlier this year, PM Suga had shared his views on the South China Sea, Xinjiang and Hong Kong.