New Delhi, Jul 28 :- During his two-day visit to Delhi, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized India’s crucial partnership in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific. He expressed Japan’s intent to strengthen cooperation with India across various domains to expand their special strategic and global alliance. Speaking at the India-Japan Forum, Hayashi commended India’s focus on the Global South and stressed the importance of upholding a free and rules-based international order, particularly in addressing challenges faced by developing nations.
Highlighting the progress in India-Japan initiatives, Hayashi mentioned new sectors like cyber and space, with discussions underway to realize substantial cooperation in defense equipment and technology. He underscored the shared vision between Japan and India to lead the world toward cooperation rather than division and confrontation, especially in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and China’s assertive military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Elaborating on the concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP), Hayashi clarified that “free” refers to countries making decisions based on their sovereignty, while “open” implies respecting principles like inclusiveness, openness, and diversity. He stressed the significance of avoiding value imposition or exclusion of certain nations, especially for smaller countries. With India’s collaboration, Japan aims to materialize the FOIP concept and establish a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign Minister Jaishankar reciprocated by describing Japan as India’s natural partner. He highlighted Japan’s announcement of a new FOIP plan during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to New Delhi in March, underscoring the critical role India plays in achieving this vision.
Regarding India’s G20 presidency, Hayashi expressed Japan’s eagerness to work closely with India for the success of the upcoming New Delhi summit in September. He noted the alignment of India’s G20 theme, “One Earth – One Family – One Future,” with Japan’s FOIP principles, emphasizing the importance of cooperation amid global divisions.
Hayashi also discussed bilateral economic engagement, encouraging Japanese companies to increase investment in India. Japan set a 5-trillion-yen target for public and private investment and financing in India over the next five years, starting from 2022. Japan pledged to work with the Indian government to address challenges faced by Japanese companies in the Indian market.
The Japanese Foreign Minister highlighted Japan’s revised “Development Cooperation Charter,” enabling better addressing of development challenges, including food and energy, climate change, and digital transformation. Japan will continue to support quality infrastructure projects in India, such as high-speed rail and urban transportation.
Speaking about the high-speed Indo-Japan bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Hayashi expressed hope that its completion would enhance transportation efficiency and promote India’s economic growth.
