TOKYO — The Japanese government said Friday it has decided to send 300 respirators and 300 oxygen concentrators to India, which is battling one of the world's worst coronavirus crises with the rapid spread of the virus, including more contagious variants, Kyodo reported.

The move came after the country's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed during phone talks on Monday to work together to fight the pandemic of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.

"Given our friendship with India, which is an important partner in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, we have decided to extend emergency assistance to help people affected by the novel coronavirus from a humanitarian standpoint," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference.

Kato also said Japan will consider additional aid for India depending on the virus situation in the country.

The Indian government announced Wednesday the country's COVID-19 death toll had eclipsed 200,000, with over 300,000 new daily infections confirmed recently.

The South Asian country is the second hardest-hit country by the pandemic after the United States, having seen over 18 million cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. — SPA