New Delhi, Jan 17: India and Japan reaffirmed their Special Strategic and Global Partnership during the visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi from January 15-17, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in AI, critical minerals, defence and regional security.

Motegi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also held the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

In an official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that during the Strategic Dialogue, the Ministers reviewed the entire gamut of the multi-faceted relations, including supply chain resilience in critical sectors, investment, trade, technology and innovation, defence, people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties.

"They underlined the importance of further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership in keeping with the outcomes of the 15th Annual Summit of August 2025 and the recent discussions between the Prime Ministers in Johannesburg," the MEA said.

"Taking forward the Japan-India AI Initiative (JAI) announced by the two Prime Ministers, the Ministers launched the AI Dialogue giving a coherent push to bilateral cooperation in this sector. Both sides also decided to convene the Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals under the Economic Security Initiative to advance collaboration in rare earth elements and critical minerals," it added.

It further mentioned that the Ministers also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of interest. "They stressed the crucial role played by the strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open, peaceful, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region," the MEA statement stated.

"The two Ministers looked forward to celebrating the year 2027 as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, the statement said," it added.

Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, along with Japanese Ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, took a ride on the Delhi Metro on Saturday.

During his visit to India, Motegi also paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held discussions on various areas such as economic security, economy, investment and innovation, including AI, and people-to-people exchanges.

In a post on X, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "FM MOTEGI made a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, during his visit to Delhi, India. Bearing in mind the "Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade" launched during PM Modi's visit to Japan last August, they had a candid exchange of views over a wide range of areas, such as security, including economic security, economy, investment and innovation, including AI, and people-to-people exchanges, and concurred to elevate Japan-India relations to new heights."

Speaking during his opening remarks at the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with Toshimitsu, Jaishankar said India places a very high priority on its partnership with Japan, which has evolved over the past two decades into a broad, comprehensive and strategic relationship.

"India attaches very great priority to its friendship with Japan. And over the last two decades, we have been successful in transforming the relationship from what was primarily an economic relationship into one that is broad, comprehensive, and strategic in its focus," Jaishankar said, referring to cooperation in platforms such as the Quad, the United Nations, the G4 grouping and the G20.

(ANI)