New Delhi, 02 July (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, held wide-ranging summit and delegation-level talks in New Delhi on Thursday, reaffirming the commitment of both countries to strengthen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership amid an evolving regional and global security landscape.

The talks were held at Hyderabad House as part of the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, with both leaders reviewing the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including strategic cooperation, trade, investment, technology, defence, supply chains and regional security.

Prime Minister Takaichi, who is on a three-day official visit to India from July 1 to July 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, was earlier accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. She was welcomed by Prime Minister Modi before the formal engagements began.

The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior government officials. The Japanese delegation was led by Prime Minister Takaichi and included senior ministers and officials.

Before the delegation-level meeting, the two leaders held one-on-one discussions aimed at advancing cooperation across key sectors. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the summit provides an opportunity to further strengthen collaboration in strategic, economic, technological and security domains while also reviewing progress made since the previous annual summit.

During the ceremonial reception, Prime Minister Modi introduced members of his Cabinet and senior officials to the visiting Japanese Prime Minister. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit reflected a partnership built on trust, shared democratic values and long-term strategic convergence.

Diplomatic sources indicated that the discussions covered strengthening resilient semiconductor supply chains, expanding cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, defence technology collaboration and the proposed Industrial Value Chain linking the Bay of Bengal with India's northeastern region.

The leaders also discussed ways to enhance economic engagement and promote greater investments between the two countries. The summit is expected to result in a joint declaration on economic security cooperation and another joint statement focused on collaboration in artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

Takaichi's visit follows Prime Minister Modi's trip to Tokyo in August 2025 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. The two countries have steadily expanded cooperation in defence, infrastructure, clean energy, digital innovation and regional connectivity, reinforcing their shared vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

Officials from both sides expressed confidence that Thursday's discussions would further deepen bilateral cooperation and open new avenues for collaboration in areas of mutual strategic and economic interest.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar