India and Japan Discuss Cooperation in 5G, Cybersecurity at Fourth Bilateral Cyber Dialogue

Cooperation in 5G telecom technology figured prominently in the India-Japan cyber dialogue held virtually on Thursday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both sides discussed important areas of bilateral cyber cooperation and reviewed the progress achieved in the areas of cybersecurity and information and communication technologies.

It said the discussions included developments in cyber domain and mutual cooperation in the area during discussions at the United Nations and other multilateral and regional fora.

"Both sides discussed important areas of bilateral cyber cooperation and reviewed the progress achieved in the areas of cybersecurity and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) including 5G Technology," the MEA said in a statement.

The Indian delegation at the fourth India-Japan Cyber Dialogue was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, joint secretary in the MEA's cyber diplomacy division. The Japanese delegation was led by Yutaka Arima, ambassador in-charge of cyber policy at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Indian delegation consisted of senior officials from THE MEA, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, National Security Council Secretariat, Ministry of Electronics and Information technology, Department of Telecommunications, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team and National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre.

Earlier this year, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks in New Delhi and agreed to launch the EU-India Trade and Technology Council while also committing to strengthen the strategic partnership.

The strategic coordination mechanism will allow both partners to tackle challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security, and thus deepen cooperation in these fields between the EU and India.

The decision to set up a Trade and Technology Council will be the first for India with any of its partners and the second for the European Union following the first one it has set up with the US.