NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar today asserted that the deepening partnership between India and Japan is a crucial factor in enhancing strategic stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
Addressing the 8th India-Japan Indo-Pacific Forum in New Delhi, Dr. Jaishankar emphasized that the bilateral relationship has evolved significantly over the past decades and holds “greater value than ever before” in the current geopolitical landscape.
The EAM outlined a clear agenda for the future of the strategic collaboration, urging the two nations to focus on leveraging their mutual strengths to boost economic and technological resilience.
“The India-Japan partnership must focus on leveraging strengths, bolstering supply chains and investing in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy and space,” Dr. Jaishankar stated.
He highlighted that as two major democracies and maritime nations, India and Japan bear a “larger responsibility towards the Indo-Pacific.” The Minister specifically mentioned that the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative holds significant potential to advance their collective contributions to regional stability and prosperity.
Dr. Jaishankar underscored the high priority both countries attach to the partnership by emphasizing the recent conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, shortly after she assumed office.
The EAM also recalled his recent meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He reported that both sides agreed it was in their mutual interest to hold a more detailed review in the near future to chart the path forward for the dynamic relationship.
The Forum serves as a critical platform for policymakers and experts from both countries to align their strategies on regional security, economic cooperation, and technological collaboration, reinforcing the Indo-Pacific’s rules-based order.
