Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, have discussed potential avenues for economic cooperation, coordination in counterterrorism efforts and other regional issues in their meeting on the sidelines of multilateral gatherings in Laos.

In their roughly 45-minute talks on Wednesday, Abe said he wanted to push forward with a "new Japan-India era," according to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo.

The leaders exchanged views on economic cooperation and promoting personnel exchange, recognizing the potential for cooperation between Japanese technological capability and India's young workforce and markets, the ministry said.

Abe expressed a wish to further enhance bilateral coordination on counterterrorism, and both leaders touched on the attack on a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka in July, in which seven Japanese and one Indian national were among 20 people killed.

Abe explained Japan's diplomatic strategy for promoting freedom and openness in the Indian and Pacific oceans, and Modi responded that he wanted to cooperate with Japan in realizing that vision, the ministry said.

Abe and Modi also discussed the importance of the rule of law in the South China Sea in an apparent reference to China's military activities in the waters.

They affirmed their resolve to strengthen cooperation toward peaceful dispute resolution based on international law.