Tokyo, June 28 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese and Indian governments are considering a plan to establish a joint task force for cooperation in stockpiling liquefied natural gas in light of lingering tensions in the Middle East, it was learned Sunday. The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the matter in line with a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Thursday, informed sources said. Japan and India hope to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy security to prepare for future risks of supply disruptions. India is highly dependent on the Middle East for LNG and is concerned about procurement risks. On the other hand, Japan relies on the region for only about 10 pct of its LNG procurement. Through the task force, the Japanese and Indian governments aim to advance dialogue and information- sharing. The establishment of the task force will be included in a joint statement that will be announced after the bilateral summit, the sources said. Takaichi is scheduled to visit India for three days from Wednesday, her first trip to the South Asian nation since she took office last October. The trip is part of so-called shuttle diplomacy, or reciprocal visits by the two countries' leaders. The two prime ministers are also seen agreeing to reinforce supply chains for important minerals and semiconductors, and promote cooperation over artificial intelligence and other new technologies. Representatives of many Japanese companies and organizations are slated to accompany Takaichi on her Indian trip. They are expected to participate in an economic forum meeting. At the forum meeting, Takaichi is likely to highlight planned Japanese private-sector investments worth 10 trillion yen in India over 10 years, the sources said. Cooperation from India, which forms the Quad framework with Japan, the United States and Australia, is important in countering China's growing military and economic coercion. "India is the linchpin of our strategies over China," a Japanese government official said. However, U.S.-India relations have been strained in recent years, and there is no prospect of a Quad summit being held. Japan hopes to leverage the series of cooperation programs in keeping close ties with India, which also maintains relations with China and Russia. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]