Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 4 (ANI): Ambassador of Japan to India, ONO Keiichi, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Friday.

The meeting came a day after the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi hosted the 'Conference of Battery and Critical Minerals Ecosystem' on July 3.

Sharing details of the event on social media platform X, Ambassador ONO Keiichi wrote, 'Yesterday we hosted 'Conference of Battery and Critical Minerals Ecosystem' in the embassy. With more than 200 participants from more than 70 companies, we united for future collaboration in the sector between India and Japan.'

The conference aligns with the broader push to strengthen India-Japan economic ties--a theme that was also highlighted earlier this year during the 48th Joint Meeting of the Japan-India Business Cooperation Committee (JIBCC) and its Indian counterpart, the India-Japan Business Cooperation Committee (IJBCC), held in New Delhi on March 6.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the meeting, Ambassador ONO Keiichi said, 'Japan and India have been natural partners, and for more than 10 years, we have been special, strategic and global partners.'

'On the business side, we have a lot of investment and trade relations here. I believe it will grow in new economic areas like renewable energy, AI, IT, and others. Japanese businesses are keen on building relationships and making investments with Indian businesses,' he said.

He also underscored Japan's interest in strengthening people-to-people ties. 'Japan will support India in achieving its goals for 2047,' the ambassador added.

A day prior to the joint meeting, on March 5, a 17-member JIBCC delegation led by its chairman Tatsuo Yasunaga called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The delegation included senior leaders from major Japanese corporations in sectors such as manufacturing, banking, airlines, pharmaceuticals, plant engineering, and logistics.

Yasunaga briefed the Prime Minister on the agenda of the joint meeting, which focused on areas including high-quality, low-cost manufacturing in India, scaling up production for global markets with a special focus on Africa, and deepening cooperation in human resource development and exchanges.

The Prime Minister welcomed the expansion plans of Japanese businesses in India and reaffirmed their commitment to the 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision. He also highlighted skill development as a key pillar of India-Japan bilateral cooperation. (ANI)