Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday said New Delhi is “indispensable” for his country’s security interests in the Indo-Pacific, as he outlined his nation’s new policy in the region.
Delivering a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi, Kishida noted that the “balance of power” was changing in a “big” way across the world.
Japan Advocates for 'Inclusive’ Indo-Pacific
“As the Global South grows, the world is becoming more diverse… Various historical and cultural backgrounds must be considered,” Kishida stated, acknowledging, though, that there was a “growing discrepancy” in individual country attitudes towards any given situation.
“A strong force is lacking within the international community. There is a lack of consensus,” the Japanese PM argued.
In this regard, Kishida noted that Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy was intended to be “inclusive” and opposed the creation of “geopolitical camps.”
Modi-KishidaTalks
Kishida’s speech came after he held discussions with Indian Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi, during which Japan vowed to further expand economic and strategic cooperation with India.
The two leaders also discussed coordinating their respective positions as presidents of the G7 and G20 groupings.
In particular, Kishida invited Modi to the G7 Summit in Hiroshima this year, which the Indian leader immediately accepted.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi said that India would focus on concerns of the Global South during its G20 presidency.
What About Cooperation With Other Countries?
Responding to a question on whether the role of China in the region came up during the talks, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told a press conference that the two leaders spoke about “challenges” in the region.
Kwatra said that the leaders discussed how India, Japan, and other “like-minded” countries could address these challenges. “Not just the challenges, but also cooperation as to how they take along the countries in the Indo-Pacific.”
He said the discussions also focused on developing resilient supply chains and mitigating the debt burden of the low and middle-income nations.