NEW DELHI, April 29: Japan and India renewed their support on Friday for each other’s bids for UN Security Council seats while pledging to work for much closer economic and strategic ties. The visit by Japan’s Premier Junichiro Koizumi, who arrived on Thursday, has been seen as aimed at boosting Tokyo’s presence in Asia in the face of China’s growing economic and political might.

Mr Koizumi signed a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh committing the nations to a “high-level strategic dialogue”. The statement also reaffirmed support for each other’s bids for permanent Security Council seats.

That reaffirmation came just two weeks after Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, during a visit to New Delhi, launched a blistering attack on Japan’s bid for the Security Council slot, saying Tokyo needed to atone for its wartime aggression first.

Mr Koizumi called “a significant milestone” the decision last year by Brazil, India, Germany and Japan to support each other’s Security Council aspirations.

“The world has changed over the past 60 years since the United Nations was established,” he said. “It must reflect the current situation of the world.”

Global leaders are to meet in New York in September to decide on UN Security Council expansion.

Mr Koizumi’s trip to New Delhi followed the Chinese leader’s visit that put Sino-Indian relations firmly on the path to reconciliation after their brief, bitter border war over four decades ago.

“I want to strongly emphasize that India has Japan as a friend in Asia,” Mr Koizumi told a business audience.

The Japanese-Indian dialogue would be aimed at achieving a “new strategic orientation” and seek to boost economic, security, energy and other links.

Analysts said Tokyo was keen to build stronger ties with New Delhi in light of China’s growing friendship with India and recent China-Japan tensions.

New Delhi saw Tokyo as a crucial support to its UN bid due to Mr Koizumi’s close ties with US President George Bush, they said.

Mr Koizumi and Manmohan Singh agreed to “further deepen the Japan-India global partnership” as China’s clout, particularly in economic areas, expands.

“A strong, prosperous and dynamic India is... in the interests of Japan and vice versa,” the statement said.

“As partners in the new Asian era... and as nations sharing common values and principles, (Japan and India) will expand their traditional bilateral cooperation to cooperation in Asia and beyond,” the statement said.

The two sides agreed to aim for a “quantum increase of trade volume”.

Bilateral trade is now at about 4.4 billion dollars. India’s Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said it should be able to hit 10 billion dollars in three years.

Mr Koizumui turned on the charm in New Delhi, saying “India is a nation that is full of capability and potential” and the two countries “must cooperate to realize the full potential of Japan-India ties”.

India’s Foreign Minister Natwar Singh struck a similarly upbeat note, saying the Japanese leader’s visit would allow both countries to take relations “qualitatively to higher levels”.

India’s commerce minister said South Korea, China, the United States and other nations had recognized the intrinsic strength of India’s economy and made significant investments in India.

“Japan, on the other hand, has remained somewhat hesitant... Now is the time to seize the opportunity,” Mr Nath said.

The two nations have agreed to start a year of bilateral dialogue to see whether they should start negotiating a free trade pact. If agreed, it would be New Delhi’s first with a developed country.

Japan and India should cooperate as “true global partners” in a “new Asian era”, Mr Koizumi wrote in a full-page “landmark message to the people of India” published by The Times of India. —AFP