New Delhi [India], August 20 (HBTV): Noting that a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the top priority for India and Japan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the 2+2 meeting between the two countries explored the possibility of coordinating their security and development assistance and that they had agreed to task their officials with preparing a new framework for security cooperation. 

In his press statement after the third 2+2 India-Japan Ministerial Meeting, Jaishankar said India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terrorism, including cross-border terrorism.

He announced that India will open a new Consulate in the city of Fukuoka. 

Jaishankar said the "regional and global environment around us" has evolved considerably since the last 2+2 meeting in Tokyo two years ago. 

"There is further complexity and volatility in the Indo-Pacific region and the world at large. Our economic landscape is also more complex, making transparency, predictability and resilience an essential part of our security. The world of technology may present new opportunities but they have also thrown up new challenges. Our 2+2 dialogue today was an occasion to share assessments and agree on cooperation in this regard," he said. 

"A free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific is the top priority for both our countries. We explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge," he added. 

Defence Minister of Japan Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa took part in the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting held here. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took part in the meeting. 

Jaishankar said the two sides discussed the unfolding new avenues for technology, research and industrial cooperation between the two countries. 

The minister urged his Japan counterpart to look at the regulatory bottlenecks and called for progress in approaches to technology sharing. 

"The growth of technology also necessitates human resource cooperation, semiconductors being a very good example. This is crucial for our diversification and de-risking efforts, for our economic and technology security overall and for sustained economic resilience of the world. We are also considering a dialogue that will seek to give shape to these common objectives," Jaishankar said. 

(ANI)