Tokyo:
Hailing India's growth story, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday said it is important for Japan to appreciate the pace of change in India today.
Mr. Jaishankar, who is in Japan on a three-day visit from March 6 to 8, today participated in the first Raisina Roundtable in Tokyo.
Addressing the event there, EAM said, “I think it is important that Japan today appreciates the pace of change in India. This is a country that today is building 17 miles of highway every day, creating 8 new airports every year, creating one and a half to two metros every year, building two new colleges every day for the past decade…”
Highlighting India's booming growth, Mr. Jaishankar said, “This transformation of India makes us a more effective and credible partner, whether it is ease of doing business, ease of living, digital delivery, startup and innovation culture or shaping of the international agenda. clearly a very different country today.”
He said India is currently working on major corridors both in the east and west.
“These include the IMAC (India Middle East-Europe Corridor) initiative through the Arabian Peninsula and the International North-South Transport Corridor and towards the east the Trilateral Highway… these corridors, when completed, will connect the Atlantic Ocean via Connecting Asia to the Pacific Ocean. Two countries (India and Japan) have converging views on the need for transparent and collaborative connectivity,” Mr Jaishankar said at the Raisina Roundtable organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Tokyo.
The Foreign Minister also spoke at length about Global South and underlined that India is aware of its responsibility.
“As the voice of the Global South, India is aware of the responsibility. Our development efforts today span 78 countries across continents. Can India and Japan coordinate on their development systems?…maritime safety and security have become particularly urgent to assure.”
“We can see that we have suffered the first casualties at the Red Sea… it is also necessary to strengthen our defense capabilities for the benefit of the larger region…” Mr Jaishankar asserted.
The Houthis have been carrying out attacks on commercial and military shipping in the Red Sea since November, halting the global trade route. The Houthis initially said they would target Israeli-linked ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, but later expanded their targeting to include ships linked to the United Kingdom and the US.
Mr Jaishankar is visiting Japan from March 6 to 8. Before that, he visited South Korea, where he met top leaders during his stay.
He is in Japan for the 16th India-Japan Foreign Minister Strategic Dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa.
The two ministers are expected to discuss issues of bilateral, regional and global importance and exchange views on cooperation for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, MEA said.
Earlier today, Mr Jaishankar said the overall balance should remain in favor of freedom, openness and rules-based order.
“As for the powers so central to Asia's multipolarity, it is also in our common interest that the overall balance remains in favor of freedom, openness, transparency and rules-based order,” he said.
“The world will see how we will support each other in the common goal through various relationships and initiatives…” the EAM noted.
He also asserted how “new equilibria are sorted and occasionally reached.”
“This session will focus on how India and Japan, who enjoy a special strategic and global partnership, plan to address the challenges facing the world order. There are many aspects to this issue…,” Mr. Jaishankar said.
(This story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)