The three countries are set to sign a memorandum of understanding in the coming months to push the Japan-initiated Free and Open Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean strategy. Government officials from the three countries are in  strategic talks and expect to agree on the scale and form of the project by summer, reported  Japan’s news agency Nikkei. Japanese Official Development Assistance will finance a portion of the project.

Some of Japan's primary maritime routes run through the Indian Ocean, so improved capacity of the region's ports will improve the security of tankers and commercial ships.