The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and India are planning to hold a so-called two-plus-two security dialogue in Tokyo in late April, a Japanese government source has said.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi will likely affirm with their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, the two countries' cooperation in countering China's increasing maritime assertiveness just ahead of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's expected visit to the South Asian country, the source said Friday.
Japan and India are part of the security framework known as the "Quad," which also includes the United States and Australia, as the four countries seek to form a united front against China's growing military and economic clout and realize a shared vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific."
Before his envisaged trip to India as well as the Philippines, which is involved in a territorial dispute with China, Suga is scheduled to visit the United States to hold talks with President Joe Biden on April 16. Suga met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in November in Tokyo.
Other issues to be discussed by the Japanese and Indian ministers will likely include joint efforts toward strengthening supply chains in the Asian region, the government source said.
It will be the second such dialogue by Japan and India since November 2019.