NEW DELHI: Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “valuable inputs for the success” of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. Hayashi said that 2023 is a crucial year as both India and Japan hold presidencies of the G20 and G7 respectively. He extended Japan’s support to India’s G20 presidency, regarding the environment, the concept of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) introduced by Prime Minister Modi, which asks everyone to live a life that is in tune with the earth, resonates well with our government’s policy.
Talking about food security, Yoshimasa said, “We commend India’s leadership in advancing efforts that pertain to building resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems, such as launching the Millet and other ancient grains international research initiative (MAHARISHI). We made sure that such efforts by India were included in the Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security,” he added.
He said that appeal for upholding the free and open international order based on the rule of law may sound like a mere slogan unless the voices of the “Global South” are keenly listened to. “Prime Minister Modi also emphasized the importance of giving a chance to the “Global South” to raise their voices at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in March,” he added.
At the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the leaders of the G7 and the invited countries confirmed to strengthen cooperation on global challenges including food, development, health, energy and climate change, and the environment. He said that G7 Hiroshima Summit addressed various difficult challenges the world is facing at this turning point in history.
“Japan, as the G7 Presidency, emphasized the strengthening of engagement with the so-called “Global South” at the G7 Hiroshima Summit this year,” he added. “These global challenges cannot be overcome by the G7 alone. They also reaffirmed their strong commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he added. He said that food security has been deteriorating due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. for which, the G7 and the invited countries issued the “Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security”.
He said that the G20, which brings together the most influential countries of the Global South, is particularly important in addressing such global challenges. Japan is very much eager to continue working hand in hand with India towards the success of the G20 New Delhi Summit. He added that Japan-India cooperation towards the future of the Indo-Pacific
“In coordination with India, Japan intends to materialize such a concept by realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” or FOIP,” he added. In March this year, Prime Minister Kishida announced Japan’s new plan for FOIP here in New Delhi. This fact itself is a reflection of the critical importance Japan places on India, as your nation is an indispensable partner in achieving FOIP, a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
Moreover, the efforts to achieve FOIP expand beyond our collaboration with India, and to the whole South Asian region. This new plan makes clear that South Asia is one of the key regions and concrete efforts have been taking place, he said. Japan has also extended support for the development of the North Eastern Region of India through the “Japan-India Act East Forum”. Going forward, Japan will continue to contribute to the development of the North Eastern Region of India, by promoting such projects as “the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project” to enhance the connectivity in the region, he said.
“High-level exchanges have acted as the driving force to push forward our security and defence cooperation. We have conducted defence exercises on land, at sea, and in the air, including the first-ever joint fighter exercise in January,” the Japanese Foreign Minister said. Japan has designated this year 2023 as the “Japan-India tourism exchange year”, and to bolster tourism, he informed. He further said that India is an integral partner for Japan in terms of the United Nations Security Council reform, where both nations have been working shoulder to shoulder as G4 members to achieve concrete results.
“India and Japan will continue to cooperate through international organizations and multilateral frameworks. He said that India is an integral partner for Japan in terms of the United Nations Security Council reform, where we have been working shoulder to shoulder as G4 members to achieve concrete results. We have also promoted practical cooperation in a wide-range of fields through the Quad,” the Japanese Foreign Minister said.
Speaking further on economic ties he said that Japan is encouraging its companies to increase investment in India. For eg. Prime Minister Kishida also set a target of 5-trillion-yen public and private investment and financing to India in the next five years from 2022. “We have been encouraging Japanese companies to increase investment in India. Prime Minister Kishida set the 5-trillion-yen target of public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years from 2022. At the same time, we will work together with the Indian government to effectively address the difficulties that Japanese companies face in the Indian market,” the Japanese Foreign Minister said.
“The outlook for our collaboration in the economic field is promising. Prime Minister Modi has placed economic growth as one of his top priority agendas and has promoted various economic initiatives including Make in India, Digital India, and Clean India,” Yoshimasa said. He added, “As a measure to promote investment, Prime Minister Modi has identified 15 key sectors including telecommunications equipment, automobiles, and applied chemical batteries that are eligible for subsidies. All of this have led to the remarkable growth in Japanese investment into crucial technologies such as medical equipment, electronics and household electric appliances”.
Speaking on the high-speed rail project, which is the flagship project between Japan and India, he said that the Japanese bullet train project will connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad, a distance of approximately 500 kilometres, and is expected to improve the efficiency of transportation as well as promote economic development in areas along the high-speed rail.
