Mumbai: India and Japan have decided to establish a strategic and global partnership and signed nine pacts covering a range of areas, including political, economic and defence fields.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe also decided to hold annual summit level meetings and upgrade their regular dialogue to foreign minister level, to impart stronger political, economic and strategic dimensions to their bilateral relations.

Besides establishing a regular policy dialogue between their national security advisors, the strategic and global partnership will serve long-term interests of both countries, enhance all-round cooperation and contribute to greater regional peace and stability.

Abe will visit India next year to hold first summit meeting.

"The strategic and global partnership will involve closer political and diplomatic coordination on bilateral, regional, multilateral and global issues, comprehensive economic engagement, stronger defence relations, greater technological cooperation as working towards a quantum increase in cultural ties, educational linkages and people-to-people contacts," a joint statement signed by Singh and Abe after their talks said.

The joint statement also affirmed Japan would continue its Official Development Assistance (ODA) for India on priority basis to support its efforts in accelerating its economic and social development as well as to strengthen partnership between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to cooperate in setting up the dedicated multi-model high axle load freight corridors with computerised control on Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Howrah routes.

"Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has submitted its interim report on the feasibility study of the project and the final report will be submitted by October 2007," the joint statement said.

India and Japan also announced a special economic partnership initiative (SEPI) to promote investments for the development of infrastructure in India, especially in the power sector, and setting up of industrial corridors.