Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is in India on a two-day visit to hold discussions with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, on strengthening bilateral cooperation with a focus on areas such as development, technology and healthcare.

“A warm welcome to FM Hayashi of Japan to India for the 15th India-Japan Ministerial Strategic Dialogue to be held later today. Wide-ranging discussions on various domains of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership on the agenda,” Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted after Hayashi’s arrival in New Delhi on Thursday.

Hayashi is visiting India as part of a six-nation tour around Asia and Africa highlighting Japan’s cooperation with the Global South and the Indo-Pacific. The other countries on Hayashi’s tour itinerary are Sri Lanka, Maldives, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia. 

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On Friday, the Japanese Minister will participate in an India-Japan forum, per the Ministry of External Affairs schedule.

Hayashi’s visit to India, the second this year, is an extended push to realise Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy and maintain international order based on the rule of law, according to Japanese media.