India on Tuesday urged Japan to remove regulatory bottlenecks that exist in the sharing of critical technologies, while both sides pledged to work vigorously towards the common goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific in light of China’s aggressive military posture in the region.

At the third ‘2+2′ Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, India and Japan also agreed to develop a new framework for security cooperation in line with their desire to further enhance their overall strategic relations.

The Indian delegation at the talks was led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Japanese team was led by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara Minoru.

In a joint statement, the ministers welcomed the successful conclusion of cooperation in the areas of unmanned ground vehicles/robotics.

It said it also appreciated the progress made in the transmission of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies and the early signing of relevant agreements.

According to official information, the UNICORN will be installed on board Indian warships.

“A free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is a top priority for both countries. We have explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge,” Jaishankar said in his media statement.

He also announced India’s decision to open a new consulate in the Japanese city of Fukuoka.

In an indirect reference to China’s military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific, Kamikawa told the media: “We reiterated our determination to oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and to uphold the free and open international order based on the rule of law.” The Japanese foreign minister said both sides reiterated their firm determination to work together for peace and prosperity in the region.

In his remarks, Jaishankar said both sides discussed emerging new opportunities for cooperation in the areas of technology, research and industry, while underlining the importance of trust-based cooperation in new technologies, including in the field of defence.

“Such trust-based cooperation on new technologies, including in defense, will best progress as our approaches to technology sharing evolve,” he said.

“To this end, I have asked our Japanese colleagues to examine the regulatory bottlenecks that currently exist,” he said.

Jaishankar also said that India and Japan were determined in their fight against terrorism, including cross-border terrorist activities.

The joint statement said the ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and called for perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and Pathankot and other attacks to be brought to justice.

It said it called for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, as well as for decisive action to eradicate terrorist safe havens and disrupt terrorism’s funding channels.

The joint statement said the ministers shared their intention to revise and update the 2008 India-Japan Joint Statement on Security Cooperation to reflect current priorities.

It also said the ministers agreed to accelerate future cooperation in defence equipment and technology and welcomed the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force exploring future cooperation in the area of ​​ship maintenance in India.

“In addition, the ministers agreed to hold discussions on coordination and cooperation in the area of ​​defence and security assistance to third countries to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said.

In his media statement, Jaishankar said the talks also focused on strengthening cooperation in capacity building, including addressing challenges from cyberspace.

He said both sides agreed to “task our officials with developing a new framework for security cooperation.” “We also shared our desire for a new vision for our entire partnership that aligns our relationship with our evolving national goals and priorities,” he said.

Jaishankar said discussions at the 2+2 meeting had paved the way for a “robust agenda” of cooperation on cross-cutting defence and foreign policy issues.

The “2+2” dialogue with Japan was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defense cooperation and deepen the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.

India maintains the “2+2” dialogue format in ministerial format with very few countries, including the USA, Australia and Russia.

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is taken from the feed of a syndicated news agency – PTI)