NewsGate Press Network

Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan did not wasted opportunity when the spotlight was on him while standing next to Narendra Modi during a joint press conference in the Capital – to openly support and reiterate his alignment with the Ukraine.

The Japanese PM was in New Delhi on Saturday the 19th of March 2022 for his two-day annual summit meeting with the prime minister.

During press meet Mr Kishida said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “very serious issue which is shaking the roots of international order” and “no permission should be given by one side to change the status quo in world order by use of force”.

Later Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters that both leaders discussed Ukraine situation and their perspectives while focussing relations between the two nations to strengthen economic and strategic ties.

“Both India and Japan want a peaceful solution to the current crisis and to ensure an open and free Indo Pacific,”  Kishida said.

A separate briefing by the MEA stated that India  “underlined the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”..

It may be recalled that among the Quad members only India has abstained in three UN votes condemning Moscow’s actions, calling only for a halt to the violence.

In return the Russia has praised India’s “independent and balanced” position after New Delhi abstained on the UN resolution that deplored Moscow’s “aggression” against Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary added that continued transgressions by China in Ladakh and its hegemonistic forays in the South China Sea also figured in the talks between Modi and Kishida.

“Both sides did inform each other of their perspectives. We did inform the Japanese side of the massing of troops and multiple attempts at transgressions and that we were holding talks with China on the border related issues and the recent issues in Ladakh.

We also made it clear that until and unless there is resolution of the issues involved and there is peace and tranquility in the border areas we cannot consider the relationship (with China) to be business as usual, and normalcy in the relationship would depend on progress on the issues that we are discussing.”

Shringla added that the Japanese leadership gave “their own perspective with respect to the East and South China Seas” — referring to the heightening tension between Japan and China over the Senkaku islands in the South China Sea.

It was also announced that Japan will invest $42 billion over the next five years in India.

The summit meeting concluded with signing of six agreements to expand bilateral cooperation between India and Japan in a range of areas, besides firming a separate clean energy partnership.