Indo-Pacific, Ukraine War, Ties On Table As Japanese PM Starts India Visit Tomorrow

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) New Delhi, March 19 (KUNA) -- Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi Monday morning on a two day official visit to India during which he is expected to touch upon Indo-Pacific, Ukraine war apart from bilateral issues.
Kishida is slated to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and discuss important bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern.
In a recent press briefing, Spokesman of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi had said announcing the visit of Japanese PM: 'Japan is a very important partner. We have annual summits with them.
This is part of that. They are also partners in plurilateral and multilateral constructs. Therefore, we look forward to a rich discussion. We look forward to exchange of views. Prime Minister had gone to Japan last year. Prime Minister Kishida had come here. Therefore, we look forward to taking forward those discussions. But what will be the talking points, what will be the outcomes, let the leaders talk about it.'
At the bilateral level, both the PMs will explore ways of further deepening Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which was established in 2014 after salvaging Global Partnership in 2000, Strategic, and Global Partnership in 2006.
India and Japan hold Annual Summit and 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting. The last meeting, which was held in Tokyo on 8th September 2022, had reaffirmed commitment to a rules-based global order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations and pledged commitment to a common strategic goal of achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, that is inclusive and resilient, based on the rule of law and free from coercion.
The first 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting was held on 30th November 2019 in New Delhi.
The visit assumes importance as it comes few days after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to India just after days of G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi which brought together some of the most important global leaders face to face.
Japan is a member of QUAD which is increasingly consolidating mutual understanding amid Chinese allegations that the US is bringing in India, Japan and Australia to contain Beijing's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting is expected to take up priorities of G7 and G20 groupings as Japan holds G7 presidency and India holds G20 presidency.
In a meeting earlier this year New Delhi expressed hope that with the presidency of G7 and G20 Japan and India can shape the world in line with Indian G20 theme of One Earth, One Family and One Future.
The discussion will also touch upon the ongoing war in Ukraine. India has so far desisted from condemning openly Russian incursion into Ukraine while Japan has openly criticized the Russian war.
During the last G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for the first time.
Several G20 foreign ministers called upon Lavrov to stop war in Ukraine while the Russian minister was critical about bringing the Ukraine war to the discussion of the meeting, which also failed to bring a joint statement condemning the ongoing war. (end)
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