India, Japan and the US to hold trilateral meet

New Delhi: India, Japan and the US will hold their first trilateral meeting here later this year to discuss issues of strategic interest.

"We need to have focussed dialogue and we are looking forward to the first round of talks here," Japanese ambassador Akitaka Saiki said while delivering a speech at the Observer Research Foundation, a think-tank.

Terming India as one of the "strongest forces" in today's world, he said all three countries will discuss issues of common interest in the meeting of the trilateral grouping.

All three countries will discuss issues of common interest in the meeting of the trilateral grouping.

The newly-appointed ambassador lavished praise on India's robust growth rate and said buoyancy in Indian economy will help revitalising the Japanses economy.

"It (India's economic growth) is astonishing...India's rise will contribute to Japanese economy," he said explaining that more trade and investment by Japanses firms into India will help that country's economy to a great extent.

Referring to China, he said all the countries in the region expected the country to respect the sensitivities of itsneighbours.

On "strategic ties" with India, Saiki said the Japanese Prime Minister is likely to visit New Delhi later this year while the first bilateral economic cooperation dialogue will also take place this year.

He said the comprehensive free trade agreement between the two countries will come into force from August 1. It is expected to boost bilateral trade between the countries to $ 25 billion by 2015 from current $ 12.35.

Notwithstanding the tsunami that struck the country in March, Japan will honour all its financial commitments to India. "We are committed to carry out these commitments," he said.

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