India, Japan agree to establish srtonger defense ties

Photo: India, Japan agree to establish srtonger defense ties

Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe during their meeting that closer relations would contribute to peace and stability in Asia and the world, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.

Abe agreed with his Indian counterpart and welcomed a joint statement on defense cooperation signed Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

Under the agreement signed by Mukherjee and Japan's Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga, the two countries will exchange information and assessments on a regular basis to tackle global terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, disaster relief and peacekeeping operations, the AP reports.

Defense chiefs from the two sides will also meet regularly and the two countries will hold joint maritime exercises.

Mukherjee, who arrived Thursday for a four-day visit to Japan, also held talks with Japan's Foreign Minister Aso Taro and Kazuo Kitagawa, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Friday.