External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on September 8, 2022 called for collective efforts with Japan to address the "new challenges" posed by the COVID pandemic and ongoing conflicts, an apparent reference to China’s aggressive moves around Taiwan.
Addressing the India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Tokyo, Mr. Jaishankar flagged the COVID-19 pandemic and the “ongoing conflicts” as “serious developments” and “new challenges” and underscored the need to address them.
“We have witnessed in recent times very serious developments, especially since our last meeting in 2019. The Covid pandemic and ongoing conflicts demand that we address these new challenges,” he said in the opening remarks and the meeting also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and their Japanese counterparts.
Mr. Jaishankar said energy security and food security have emerged as particularly pressing issues and as a responsible member of the international community, India has worked tirelessly, in extending humanitarian aid, medicines, vaccines, food grains and many other forms of assistance.
“As we face these challenges, it is important we work collectively to find common solutions through the path of dialogue and diplomacy,” the Minister said.
Mr. Jaishankar said the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue demonstrated the commitment towards deepening bilateral security and defense cooperation and also signified the strength of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership.
“India-Japan partnership is a partnership of immense importance. It is rooted in our shared values of democracy, freedom, and respect for rule of law,” he said, amidst China's aggressive actions around Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing, and in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr. Jaishankar said the strategic aspects of the relationship has gained new meaning in recent years, reflected in the recent bilateral and plurilateral engagements of the two countries.
“The recent meeting of our leaders reaffirmed the continuity and strength of our relationship,” he said referring to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“In this overall context, our dialogue today holds special significance. I look forward to our discussion, which I am confident will lay the foundation for closer cooperation between India and Japan in the area of security and foreign affairs,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar also expressed sincere condolences on the demise of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
India, Japan pursuing special strategic partnership, says Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India and Japan are pursuing a Special Strategic and Global Partnership which is very important for a free, open, rule-based and inclusive Indo-Pacific based upon sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, as China flexes its military muscle in the region.
Mr. Singh, who attended the 2+2 Dialogue alongwith External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Tokyo and their counterparts from Japan, said the two sides had an opportunity to share views on important issues, regional and global, and concurred on the need for peaceful resolution of disputes in consonance with international law.
"As two thriving democracies in Asia, we are pursuing a Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” Mr. Singh said while addressing the India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue which was attended by Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Mr. Singh said India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) shares many commonalities with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
"There is consensus on both sides that a strong India-Japan relationship is very important for a free, open, rule-based and inclusive Indo-Pacific based upon sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations," he said.
India, the U.S. and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the region.
The armies of India and China are still engaged in a prolonged standoff at eastern Ladakh.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.
So far, the two sides held 16 rounds of Corps Commander Level talks to resolve the prolonged standoff.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
In his address, Mr. Singh said India has also developed maritime cooperation with regional partners in consonance with its inclusive vision of security and growth for all in the region.
"We held extensive discussions on ways to enhance maritime cooperation including Maritime Domain Awareness," he said.
He said India's relationship with ASEAN has emerged as a key cornerstone of its foreign policy.
"Through ADMM Plus, both India and Japan are working together with ASEAN and other Plus countries for strengthening cooperation across domains,” he said.
He also invited the Japanese defence companies to look at opportunities in investing in the Indian defence corridors.
He said enhancing the defence equipment and technological cooperation between India and Japan is one of the key priority areas and proposed engagements in emerging and critical technological domains.
Mr. Singh said the participation of Japan for the first time in the multilateral exercise MILAN and operationalisation of the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement in March this year are milestones in the progress of defence cooperation between two forces.
"We are happy to note that our air forces are working closely for early conduct of the inaugural Air Force fighter exercise,” he said.
"During today's discussions, we noted the progress in the military-to-military cooperation and exchanges between the two sides. We shared a common desire to further increase the scope and complexities of our bilateral exercises,” he said.
This year is significant for both India and Japan, as the two sides are celebrating 70 years of establishment of their diplomatic relations.
"This is an important relationship for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” Mr. Singh said.
During the course of discussions, the two sides covered a wide spectrum of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, he said.
He thanked Ministers Hayashi and Hamada for the extremely productive discussions and for expressing their commitment towards furthering the India-Japan partnership.
The ‘2+2’ Dialogue is taking place more than five months after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India for the annual India-Japan summit.
