NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Hailing India-Japan ties, Union minister Kiren Rijiju today said that both the countries should go beyond their immediate oceanic limits to serve the interests of the whole world.
“India and Japan must move together. India must go beyond the Indian Ocean and Japan also must go beyond the Pacific, not because we have to serve our own interests but we have to serve the interests of the whole world,” he said at seminar on ‘Indo-Pacific Region: Conver-ging India-Japan Interests’.
Rijiju hailed India-Japan ties and said that without integrating Japan’s role, it will be difficult to ensure stability in the world.
“I feel that India and Japan have not realised their potential fully. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power,we are looking towards (fulfilling) that. The chemistry between Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is very visible,” he said.
The minister said India is not an expansionist, not aggressive, not militaristic in its approach.
“We have to be strong and we have to work together so that we work as a stabiliser. Without integrating the role of Japan, it is difficult to really ensure stability not only in Asia, but in the whole world.
“The shift in India’s Look East policy to Act East policy is also very transforming as well as practical,” Rijiju said at the seminar, organised by the Observer Research Foundation in association with the Embassy of Japan.
He said, “When we say Act East policy, we have to look from India’s northeast. Geographically, the southeast Asian countries are actually very close to the northeast India.
“We are very inclusive in our approach. We would like to see all members of the UN to come together for maintaining stability and peace. Japan and India both are democratic, ancient, peace-loving countries.”
Referring to Buddhism, Rijiju said Japan has given a finishing touch to what was born in India.
The minister said India and Japan must integrate themselves much more closely in trade as anything made in Japan is synonymous with quality.
“Japan has emerged as a brand value of quality… Today, we are talking about Make in India. So the quality of Japan and Make in India must meet each other. We need more Japanese to come, and establish their expertise in India,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu said the Japan-India relationship has entered a new era and both the countries share fundamental values like freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The two countries have many things in common and have developed trade and investment ties.
“India and Japan have many things to share with each other like technology, expertise and human resources. Both the countries are becoming action oriented,” he said.
The envoy said that the Indo-Pacific region is full of opportunities and challenges.
Hiramatsu said, “During a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump, they urged North Korea to stop its nuclear programmes for peace and stability in the region.”
Praising India’s Act East policy, he said the ties between Japan and India have been described as the ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. (PTI)
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