External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar underscored the growing importance of the India-Japan partnership, stating that it plays a key role in maintaining strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking at the 8th India-Japan Indo-Pacific Forum in New Delhi, he highlighted how the two nations’ collaboration has evolved into a cornerstone of peace, stability, and economic progress.
Jaishankar remarked that the India-Japan relationship, which has strengthened over the past few decades, holds greater value today than ever before. He noted that maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific has become both an essential goal and a complex challenge. The deepening cooperation between New Delhi and Tokyo, he added, reflects their shared vision of responding effectively to the shifting global order.
Congratulating the Delhi Policy Group and the Japan Institute of International Affairs for organizing the dialogue, Jaishankar acknowledged their role in fostering academic and diplomatic exchange between the two countries.
He also referenced the recent conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, following her assumption of office, as a sign of the high priority both leaders place on bilateral cooperation. Jaishankar highlighted Modi’s visit to Japan in August, during which both sides outlined a joint ten-year vision built around eight strategic pillars and an investment commitment of $65 billion over the next decade. The newly signed Joint Declaration on security cooperation, he said, demonstrates the rising ambition in defence and strategic affairs.
Looking forward, Jaishankar emphasized the need for India and Japan to collaborate in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, space technology, and critical minerals. Strengthening supply chains and boosting innovation, he said, would be vital to achieving shared economic and strategic objectives.
He also mentioned his recent meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where both sides agreed to conduct a detailed review to accelerate joint initiatives.
Concluding his remarks, Jaishankar praised the continuous support from policy experts and think tanks, urging them to provide valuable insights to further enhance the partnership between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific.
