Japan and Britain agreed Wednesday to get actively involved in efforts to establish a dialogue on Kashmir and other territorial disputes between India and Pakistan.
The agreement came during a morning meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Straw is scheduled to pay separate visits to India and Pakistan after leaving Tokyo.
Koizumi underlined Tokyo's concern about the territorial row between New Delhi and Islamabad, telling Straw that Japan welcomes the mediation efforts by Britain, which retains strong political influence on the two countries, the official said.
Straw emphasized the importance of Japan being actively involved in efforts to resolve the dispute, explaining that international efforts to achieve a breakthrough have stumbled recently, the official said.
Straw's visit to the region will be his second in recent months and is aimed at reducing tensions resulting from the deployment of nearly 1 million troops by Pakistan and India along their border.