Japan, India may launch security consultative framework

Japan and India are likely to agree to launch a security consultative framework involving the two countries' foreign and defence ministers, a senior Japanese foreign ministry official has said.

Calling Japan and India "two major maritime democracies in Asia," Japanese officials said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to affirm cooperation in ensuring a "peaceful and stable maritime order" in an apparent effort to curb Beijing's rising activity in the East and South China seas and the Indian Ocean, Kyodo news agency reported Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a five-day official visit to Japan Saturday as the two governments seek to strengthen security ties in the face of China's rising territorial ambitions and military build up.

India and Japan Saturday signed the Kyoto-Varanasi partnership agreement, an official said.

Abe will host a dinner for his Indian counterpart later Saturday.

This is Modi's third official bilateral visit after becoming prime minister in May this year. Earlier, he made bilateral visits to South Asian neighbours Bhutan and Nepal.

Besides that, the only other visit he made abroad was to Brazil for the BRICS (Brazil, India, China, Russia, South Africa) summit.