Khurshid Hopes for Stronger India-Japan Ties


New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid congratulated Fumio Kishida on becoming the foreign minister of Japan and underlined desire to work closely with him for "expanding and deepening strategic partnership" for benefit of the two countries as well as for Asia and the world.

In his telephonic conversation with Kishida, Khurshid stressed that India and Japan are bound by "strong cultural ties, shared values of democracy and our desire for peace and progress".

He also stressed that the strategic and global partnership between India and Japan is marked by close cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest, including "economic and industrial collaboration," said official sources.

Khurshid expressed his desire to work with Kishida in "expanding and deepening Strategic Partnership" for the benefit of both countries and for peace and prosperity of Asia and the world, said the sources.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is known to be a strong advocate of stronger India-Japan relations and had backed the India-Japan nuclear deal when he was the prime minister over five years ago.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to travel to Japan for the annual bilateral summit early next year.

Source: IANS