India today said it attaches priority to its strategic partnership with Japan, even as bilateral trade and investment is set to get a boost after their comprehensive market-opening pact comes into force.

Bilateral trade and strategic ties between the countries came up for discussion during a meeting between India's Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, and Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda here today. The two ministers were in Hanoi for the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.

The two countries had signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in February. However, the agreement is yet to be implemented pending ratification by the Japanese Parliament.

May 5th, 2011

Source: ptinews.com