MODI HOLDS TALKS WITH JAPAN PM ON COOPERATION IN COVID FIGHT

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga on Monday discussed cooperation in key areas, including creating resilient supply chains and ensuring reliable supply of critical materials, to overcome challenges posed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

During a 25-minute phone conversation, the two leaders discussed the Covid-19 situation in each other’s country and close India-japan cooperation to overcome regional and global challenges due to the pandemic.

Such bilateral cooperation includes “working together to create resilient, diversified and trustworthy supply chains, ensuring reliable supply of critical materials and technologies, and developing new partnerships in manufacturing and skill development”, the external affairs ministry said in a readout.

The two leaders emphasised on the need for early operationalisation of the Specified Skilled Workers (SSW) agreement signed recently to synergise their strengths and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

They also highlighted the Mumbai-ahmedabad high speed rail project as a “shining example of their cooperation and welcomed the steady progress in its execution”, the readout said.

They confirmed the importance of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including Japan-australia-india-us quadrilateral collaboration, to ensure a free and open Indo-pacific and decided to continue their efforts to build a rules-based international order, Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Suga said he hopes to further develop cooperation in cyber, digital, decarbonisation, healthcare and connectivity, and mentioned possible collaboration in 5G, submarine cables, strengthening industrial competitiveness, diversification of supply chains and development of India’s northeastern region.