Sunday, January 15 2006 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tokyo: Describing India as an 'Asian power', Shinzo Abe, seen as the strongest candidate to be the next Prime Minister of Japan, today (Jan 15, 2006) strongly pitched for forging strategic relations between the two countries.

"We need not only to look at Japan-China relations but also to have a bird's-eye view of the whole of Asia or the world when we engage in diplomacy with Asian nations," Abe, who is also the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, said in an interview to national broadcaster NHK.

"For example, there is another Asian power; India, which has common values with Japan such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights and rule of law."

Shinzo said Japan should evolve a comprehensive diplomatic policy toward the Asian region. The policy would also be a central issue in September's election for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

"Asian diplomacy, as a matter of course, will become an issue and candidates should explain what diplomatic strategies they have in mind," Abe, himself a hopeful for the post of LDP president, was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

"Our relations with India have been relatively weak though it is a country very friendly to Japan. It is important to strengthen ties with this country a lot more and forge strategic relations".

The LDP presidency goes hand in hand with Japan's premiership due to the majorities held by the LDP-led ruling coalition in both chambers of the Diet, the Japanese parliament.