NEW DELHI, April 29 (UPI) -- Japan and India Friday signed economic and strategic agreements and agreed to support each other's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, signed an eight-point agreement on closer cooperation on trade, security, technology and U.N. seats.
"The two prime ministers have agreed that the global partnership between India and Japan reflects a broad convergence of their long-term political, economic and strategic interests, aspirations, objectives and concerns," they said in a joint statement.
Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who met with Koizumi earlier Friday, said trade between the countries, now at $4 billion a year, should reach $30 billion by 2010. The two nations also pledged cooperation on energy-related issues.
Both countries have long sought permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council and on Friday reiterated support for each other.
Koizumi's trip to India, his first as premier, ends Saturday.
