New Delhi [India], May 4 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Sunday said India and Japan can take their bilateral partnership 'to the next level', highlighting opportunities for deeper cooperation in defence, investments, energy and people-to-people ties.

In a post on X, Shringla said he met Takayuki Kobayashi, Chairperson of the Policy Research Council of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), along with two other senior Japanese lawmakers.

https://x.com/harshvshringla/status/2050967712315343196

'I had the pleasure of meeting Takayuki Kobayashi-san, Chairperson of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party, along with two other senior Members of Parliament from Japan's LDP,' Shringla said.

The meeting was also attended by BJP MPs Arun Singh, Tejasvi Surya and Alok Sharma.

Shringla thanked Ono Keiichi for facilitating the interaction.'I thank Ono Keiichi, Ambassador of Japan to India, for arranging this very useful interaction,' he said.

During the discussions, Shringla emphasised the strength of India-Japan relations and the growing political momentum to expand cooperation.

'During the discussion, I spoke about our close ties with Japan and the potential to take this partnership to the next level, given the strong political will that exists today,' he stated.

He added that both countries could strengthen collaboration 'particularly in areas such as investments, defence, energy, people-to-people ties, including the effective use of human resources, and joint collaborations in third countries.'

Meanwhile, the delegation met BJP National President Nitin Nabin at the party headquarters in the national capital on Sunday.

A diplomatic interaction was held between the BJP President and the Japanese delegation.

LDP is the current ruling party in Japan, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the helm.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday welcomed Japan's decision to review its long-standing framework governing the transfer of defence equipment and technology, describing it as a positive step that could further strengthen bilateral security cooperation.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'India welcomes Japan's review of the three principles on the transfer of defence equipment and technology. Defence and security cooperation form an important pillar of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership.'

He emphasised that both India and Japan have consistently worked to deepen collaboration under their shared strategic vision.

'As part of the Joint Declaration on security cooperation between India and Japan, both sides have committed to increasing practical cooperation in the interest of their national security and to continue economic dynamism,' he added.

The spokesperson further highlighted that the evolving framework would support enhanced technological and industrial collaboration, including between government entities and private sector stakeholders, particularly in sectors critical to national security and resilience.

'This includes promotion and facilitation of technological and industrial collaboration between the government entities and private sector stakeholders for resilience in sectors critical to national security,' Jaiswal said.

The remarks come after Japan, on April 21, announced amendments to its 'Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology' and the associated implementation guidelines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met PM Takaichi last year on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa. India and Japan share a 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' which is reflected across all fronts. (ANI)