India and Japan are set to hold the upcoming third round of the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting on August 20 in New Delhi to advance their strategic partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India, while Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will attend on behalf of Japan.

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This meeting follows the previous two rounds held in New Delhi in 2019 and Tokyo in 2022.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday highlighting the significance of the 2+2 dialogue, said, “2+2 dialogue with Japan is very important for us and this is third one that is happening. India-Japan relation is at a very high level. Getting the Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers of both countries on the same platform will give a major boost to all aspects of our relationship.”

The talks will give a major boost to overall India-Japan ties, Jaiswal added.

The ‘2+2’ dialogue with Japan was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.

India has the ‘2+2’ ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries including the US, Australia and Russia.

Earlier this month, Extern Affairs Minister Jaishankar acknowledged the strategic alignment between India and Japan, noting the potential for increased business collaboration and the importance of working closely with Tokyo.

In addition to the 2+2 meeting, MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal also discussed the upcoming Voice of Global South Summit, which India will host on August 17. This summit, conducted virtually like its predecessors, aims to unite countries from the Global South to discuss shared priorities and perspectives.

“All Global South countries have been invited. We have a large number of countries participating. As to the exact number of countries who will be speaking, we will give you an update tomorrow,” he said.

The event aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development and India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ emphasising global unity and cooperation.