New Delhi: With Japan now a permanent member of the annual Malabar exercise that also involves India and US, an American official said on Tuesday that it was focused on the "Indo-Asia Pacific region" and was an opportunity for the three navies to work together to increase their interoperability.

"It is an opportunity with a focus on the Indo-Asia Pacific region and maritime nature of all three countries. It is really an opportunity for the three countries to work together for cooperation and security in the region," the official told a select group of reporters here via teleconferencing from the nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan that is currently operating in the South China Sea.