Rajnath meets Japanese PM, conveys India's commitment to enhance bilateral defence engagements

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe here and conveyed India's commitment to further enhance the defence engagements with Japan.

"The meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan Mr @AbeShinzo was excellent. India attaches the highest priority to our bilateral relationship with Japan," he tweeted.

"I conveyed to him the Government of India's commitment to further enhance the defence engagements between both the countries," the minister said.

Singh on Monday evening (local time) arrived here on the first leg of his five-day visit to East Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea, with an aim to strengthen military and defence ties with India.

The Defence Minister will be in Japan on September 2 and 3.

India and Japan have developed strong ties over the last five years and there is also a personal bonding between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart.

"Premier Mr @AbeShinzo's regular interactions with India's Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi have put the Special, Strategic and Global partnership between India-Japan on to an even higher pedestal. It has added a new strategic depth to our defence cooperation," Singh said.

During his visit to Japan, the Minister is also scheduled to co-chair the Annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue with his counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, with an aim to intensify India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The Dialogue will also include wide-ranging discussions to enhance the bilateral defence and security engagements between India and Japan.