Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held discussions with a visiting delegation of Japanese Members of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday, focusing on a broad spectrum of political and economic issues of mutual interest as India and Japan continue to deepen their longstanding strategic partnership.

The Japanese delegation is visiting India under the Ministry of External Affairs Distinguished Visitors Program and is led by House of Representatives member Taro Kono, a prominent figure within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The delegation also includes Karen Makishima, Kenji Nakanishi and Sako Yamamoto, accompanied by Japanese Ambassador to India Ono Keiichi.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on developments affecting India and Japan as well as wider regional and international issues. The discussions reflected the growing importance of bilateral cooperation at a time when both countries are placing increased emphasis on economic resilience, technological collaboration, supply-chain security and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Sharing details of the interaction, Misri noted that he was pleased to have had the opportunity to exchange views with the LDP parliamentary delegation led by Taro Kono during its visit to India under the Distinguished Visitors Program. He stated that the talks covered a wide range of political and economic subjects of interest to both countries.

The visit began in Bangalore before the delegation travelled to New Delhi. During their stay in India's technology capital, the Japanese lawmakers visited several of the country's leading scientific, technological and defence institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

These visits provided the parliamentarians with first-hand exposure to India's advances in research, innovation, space technology, defence electronics and high-technology manufacturing. The itinerary highlighted sectors that are becoming increasingly central to India-Japan cooperation and future economic engagement.

The Indian Embassy in Japan stated that the Bangalore leg of the program showcased important areas of collaboration and demonstrated the growing depth of exchanges between the two nations in science and technology.

The embassy further emphasised that cooperation in artificial intelligence, technology, space, defence and Start-Up ecosystems has become a major pillar of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. According to the embassy, the visit reflects both the strength of ongoing cooperation and the substantial opportunities that exist for future collaboration.

The participation of senior Japanese lawmakers is also viewed as an important mechanism for strengthening political understanding between the two countries. Through direct engagement with Indian institutions, policymakers and industry stakeholders, the delegation is expected to gain a deeper appreciation of India's economic transformation, technological capabilities and strategic priorities.

According to the Indian Embassy in Japan, the core objective of the visit is to familiarise Japanese parliamentarians with the latest developments taking place across India, enable them to experience local conditions first-hand and provide opportunities for direct interaction with relevant stakeholders from government, academia, industry and research organisations.

The visit comes as India and Japan continue to expand their Special Strategic and Global Partnership across multiple sectors.

In recent years, the relationship has evolved beyond its traditional focus on trade and infrastructure to encompass emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, economic security, resilient supply chains, defence cooperation, critical minerals, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Both countries have also increasingly aligned their strategic outlook in support of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Regular high-level political exchanges, growing defence engagement and expanding economic cooperation have become defining features of the bilateral relationship.

The presence of the Japanese parliamentary delegation in India underlines the importance both governments attach to strengthening people-to-people links, parliamentary diplomacy and institutional partnerships.

The visit is expected to contribute further momentum to India-Japan cooperation across political, economic, technological and strategic domains while helping identify new avenues for collaboration in the years ahead.

ANI