India Sees Japan as a ‘Natural Partner’ in Its Journey, Development and Quest for Stability in Indo-Pacific, Says EAM S Jaishankar (Watch Videos)

Tokyo, March 7: India sees Japan as a “natural partner” in its journey, development and transformation, and in its quest for peace, prosperity and stability in the strategic Indo-Pacific region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday as he held “very productive” talks with his Japanese counterpart Kamikawa Yoko.

In his opening remarks at the 16th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo, Jaishankar also said that 2023 was a landmark year in the bilateral relationship. ‘World Does Not Give Things Easily, You Have To Take Them’, Says EAM S Jaishankar on India’s Permanent UNSC Membership (Watch Video).

EAM S Jaishankar With Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko

"We see Japan as a natural partner in India's journey, development and transformation, and in its quest for peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” said Jaishankar, who is here for the second leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.

India and Japan are members of QUAD - a four-member strategic security dialogue that also includes the US and Australia. In a joint press statement along with Japanese counterpart Yoko, Jaishankar said their talks provided strategic guidance to their teams to realise the vision of the India-Japan Special Strategic Global Partnership and the expectations that the top leaders of the two countries have of this partnership. China Shouldn’t Expect Other Aspects To Move Ahead Normally, Says EAM S Jaishankar.

Stating that this round of the dialogue has been “very productive”, Jaishankar said the two sides have made good progress in their defence and security relations. “Today, just as we're meeting here in Tokyo, the Indian Army is conducting joint exercises with the Japanese Self-Defence Forces in Rajasthan. The three branches of our military and Coast Guard are productively engaged with the Japanese counterparts,” he said.

Jaishankar said the two major Indo-Pacific nations have an abiding stake in the peace, security and prosperity of the region and are ready to play a responsible role. “Whether it is the development aspirations for the Global South, or the reform of institutions and mechanisms of global government, fighting transnational crimes, or defending against the disruptions to supply chains, cooperation between India and Japan has a world of possibilities,” he added. He said that there have been exchanges about cooperation possibilities in areas of jointness and new domains like cyber and space.

“We also took stock of progress in our defence equipment and technology cooperation framework. In economic cooperation, we see a lot of potential for the quantum jump of Japanese investment into India, especially from Small and Medium Enterprises as we enter a decade of growth,” he said. He said the two sides are seeking to realise their shared target of 5 trillion yen in terms of overall investment.

“India remains committed to the continuous improvement in our infrastructure environment and I underlined the importance we attach to the timely execution of flagship projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed railway,” he said. He welcomed Japan's development role in India's Northeast, saying it will be crucial in transforming the connectivity and industrial landscape of that region. “It will benefit not only two countries but also other countries in the neighbourhood,” he added.

“We also concurred on the need to work together to enhance each other's economic security and supply chain resilience by taking a strategic view of trade and technology. In this context, we discuss possibilities in the semiconductor ecosystem, green technologies and digital payments by leveraging our complementary strengths,” he said.

The two sides also spoke about ways to enhance people-to-people engagement through education, tourism and culture. Jaishankar said that he also spoke about the need for a more facilitative visa regime for Indian tourists and other citizens to travel to Japan.

“We also discussed the shared interest we had in providing greater mobility for Indian talent and for Indian skills to Japan, expanding the scope of the existing arrangements and helping promote the Japanese language...” he said. He said he was looking forward to receiving his Japanese counterpart in India for the next 2+2 ministerial dialogue.