Article Posted on : - Nov 07, 2009

NEW DELHI (PTI): To further enhance Indo-Japanese defence ties, Defence Minister A K Antony will be leaving for a three-day visit to Tokyo on Saturday during which he is expected to discuss increasing cooperation in anti-piracy efforts and military training.

This will be the first trip of an Indian minister to Japan after a new government took over there in September.

“Under the new government, this is the first visit by anybody from our government,” Antony told reporters here on Friday.

During the visit, Antony will meet his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa to review bilateral defence relations, Defence ministry officials said.

Issues such as possibility of increasing coordination in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, holding joint exercises between armed forces and exchange of students in the defence training institutions of both the countries are expected to figure in the meeting, they added.

Antony will be accompanied by the Defence Secretary, DRDO Chief and senior armed forces officials.