Japanese, Indian defense chiefs agree to cooperate on IT

Asian Economic News, June 12, 2000

TOKYO, June 8 Kyodo

The defense chiefs of Japan and India agreed Thursday to cooperate on improving their defense capabilities in line with the ongoing information technology (IT) revolution, Japanese defense officials said.

Japanese Defense Agency chief Tsutomu Kawara and Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes confirmed the need for bilateral cooperation in the field at a meeting in Tokyo, the officials said.

Kawara said, "Cooperation on the IT issue is important from the viewpoint of building trust," and Fernandes agreed, according to the officials.

Fernandes also invited Kawara to visit India at an early date, the officials said.

India's defense minister visited Japan to attend the official funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who died May 14, six weeks after falling into a coma following a stroke.