The Liberal Democratic Party's policy chief and India's foreign minister on Wednesday emphasized the importance of their trilateral security partnership with the United States.
The agreement was reaffirmed during a meeting in the Indian capital between Toshimitsu Motegi and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Motegi told reporters.
The LDP politician's trip is intended to pave the way for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India planned for September. Motegi relayed Abe's message that he looks forward to the upcoming visit.
During their talks, Motegi and Swaraj agreed to ramp up pressure on North Korea to force the isolated country to abandon its weapons program.
The two also embraced as a symbol of trilateral cooperation between Japan, India and the United States the recent joint annual maritime exercises in the Indian Ocean.