India committed to defence ties with Japan: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on a two-day visit to Japan, on Monday met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo and said India was committed to enhance defence engagements between the two countries, besides strengthening bilateral arrangements.

Singh also met Japane Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the first day of his visit. He is accompanied by a high-level defence ministry delegation.

"The meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan Mr @AbeShinzo was excellent. India attaches the highest priority to our bilateral relationship with Japan. I conveyed to him India's commitment to further enhance the defence engagements between both the countries," Singh tweeted.

According to a defence ministry official, Singh also discussed abrogation of Article 370 and said talks and cross-border terrorism, originating from Pakistan, couldn't go together.

He also invited Japanese companies to participate in the biennial arms exhibition Defence Expo 2020, scheduled to be held in Lucknow.

"Premier Mr @AbeShinzo's regular interactions with India's Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi have put the special, strategic and global partnership between India and Japan on to an even higher pedestal. It has added a new strategic depth to our defence cooperation," Singh's another tweet read.

Singh co-chaired the Japan-India Defence Ministerial Meeting and discussed various issues of mutual concern, including new initiatives towards achieving peace and security in the region.

According to officials, the Indo-Pacific vision was discussed with an expression of India's preference for a rule-based order along with centrality of Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) and inclusiveness and security for all.

Officials said Singh also conveyed to Abe that J&K was an integral part of India and abrogation of Article 370 would benefit the local people. He also stressed that Pakistan had no locus standi in J&K.