Japan announced an investment target of five trillion yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India in the next five years following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, on Saturday in New Delhi.
The two sides inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, besides firming a separate clean energy partnership. It was Kishida’s first visit to India as the Japan PM.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio made an official two-day visit to India, as his first bilateral visit, for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit with Narendra Modi. The Prime Ministers recognized that the Summit was taking place at a significant time as the two countries were celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and India was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its independence. They reviewed the developments since the last Annual Summit and discussed wide ranging areas of cooperation.
At a joint media briefing, Modi said deepening India-Japan ties will not only benefit the two countries but will also help in encouraging peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
After their meeting, Kishida said, “I have expressed my views to Prime Minister Modi. I said that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by use of force should never be allowed in any sphere.”
Kishida said the situation in Ukraine following the Russian invasion figured in the talks and described Moscow’s actions against the eastern European country as a serious matter that has shaken the basis of international norms. Unilateral attempts to change the status quo using force should not be allowed, he said.
He added that PM Modi and he have agreed that a “peaceful solution is needed for all problems as per international law”. In view of these developments, both countries should make efforts for a free and open Indo-Pacific, he added, Japan, along with India, will keep appealing for a ceasefire and that the conflict is resolved through diplomacy, he added.
Modi said India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply and that both sides are determined to expand overall cooperation. Modi did not mention Ukraine directly, only making a reference to “geopolitical developments”.
