Tokyo, Aug 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday affirmed India and Japan’s commitment to free, open, peaceful, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific while announcing that both countries have decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation in defence industry and innovation.
While addressing a joint press meet with Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba following the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit on Friday, PM Modi stated, “India and Japan are fully committed to a free, open, peaceful, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. We have common concerns on terrorism and cyber security. Our shared interests are linked to Defence and Maritime Security. We have decided to further strengthen mutual cooperation in the field of defence industry and innovation.”
Earlier, in an interview given to the leading Japanese daily ‘The Yomiuri Shimbun’ ahead of his arrival in Tokyo, PM Modi had highlighted that collaboration in the defence sector has been a strong success story for India and Japan as both countries have a shared interest in peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
“Today, our partnership spans across all three services. We conduct regular bilateral and multilateral exercises. We are building a robust Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation, and working on co-development and co-production of UNICORN masts for our Navy,” he said.
The Prime Minister asserted that, in the recent years, Indian defence products are rapidly expanding their global footprint.
“Japan also has a proven record in the field of defence technology. Together, with political trust and natural complementarities, we can design and produce next generation defence platforms not just for ourselves, but also for the world. The Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation to be adopted during my visit will further military modernization and defence industry collaboration, and advance our ambition for shaping a secure and stable Indo-Pacific for generations to come,” he told Yomiuri Shimbun.
On Friday, PM Modi invited Ishiba for the next India-Japan Annual Summit, stressing that partnership between India and Japan is rooted in mutual trust and shaped by shared values and beliefs. He welcomed the agreement reached between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for cooperation in the Chandrayaan-5 mission.
“India and Japan partnership is rooted in mutual trust, reflects our national priorities, and is shaped by our shared values and beliefs. Together, we carry a common dream of peace, progress and prosperity of our peoples and for the world,” he said.
PM Modi called his discussions with Ishiba “productive and purposeful.” He further said, “We both agree that as the world’s two largest economies and vibrant democracies, our partnership is extremely important not only for our two countries but also for global peace and stability.”
He also announced human resource exchange plan between two nations. He said, “Under the action plan of human resource exchange, exchange of 5 lakh people will be encouraged from both sides in different fields in the next five years. In this, 50,000 skilled Indians will actively contribute to the economy of Japan.”
“The participation of India and Japan will not be limited to Delhi and Tokyo only. Now the bond between Indian States and Japanese prefectures will deepen through institutional cooperation. This will open new doors for trade, tourism, education, and cultural exchanges,” he added.
PM Modi announced that India and Japan will make rapid progress in areas like ports, aviation and shipbuilding under the Next Generation Mobility Partnership. He called India-Japan joint credit mechanism a “big win” for energy and also announced the launch of Sustainable Fuels Initiative and Battery Supply Chain Partnership.
“Our Joint Credit Mechanism is a big win for energy. It shows that our green partnership is as strong as our economic partnership. In this direction, we are also launching the Sustainable Fuels Initiative and Battery Supply Chain Partnership. We are launching the Economic Security Cooperation Initiative. Under this, we will move forward with a comprehensive approach in critical and strategic areas,” he said.
Terming Indian talent and Japanese technology as a “winning combination”, PM Modi said, “We believe that Japanese technology and Indian talent are a winning combination. While we are working on high-speed rail, we will also make rapid progress in areas like ports, aviation and shipbuilding under the Next Generation Mobility Partnership. We welcome the agreement reached between ISRO and JAXA for cooperation in the Chandrayaan-5 mission. Our active participation will go beyond the boundaries of the earth and will become a symbol of the progress of humanity in space as well,” he stated.
PM Modi’s remarks came after he held the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with his Japanese counterpart Ishiba at Kantei, the official residence of PM of Japan. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, India’s Ambassador to Japan Sibi George and other officials also attended the meeting.
PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at Kantei as he arrived to hold the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit discussions. Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Ishiba addressed the India-Japan Economic Forum. CEOs and business leaders from various fields participated in the event. In his address, PM Modi spoke about India’s deep economic ties with Japan and also mentioned about areas where cooperation between two nations can deepen in the years to come.
–IANS
akl/as
