Will exchange views with PM Modi on how to resolve rising international challenges: PM Kishida

New Delhi, Mar 19 (FN Agency) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who arrives in India on a two-day official visit on Monday, said today that during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi he would like to exchange views on the role that their two nations should play in resolving the rising international challenges, and also strengthen the bilateral Special Strategic Global Partnership. In tweets, as he left for India, the Japanese Premier also said that during his stay he will announce a new plan on Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and that Japan will present “concrete ideas” about the future of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific during the visit. “I will visit India and meet with Prime Minister Modi @narendramodi. This year, Japan will chair the G7 and India will chair the G20. I would like to exchange views on the role that our two countries should play in resolving the mountain of international challenges, and to further strengthen our “Special Strategic Global Partnership.” “In addition, during my stay in India, I will announce a new plan on Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). We will present concrete ideas about the future of FOIP at this historical turning point,” he tweeted.

The Japanese PM arrives in India on Monday morning. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. The Ukraine conflict is set to figure prominently in the conversation between the two sides. The Japanese Prime Minister is expected to invite Prime Minister Modi to attend the G7 summit being held in May in Hiroshima. The Japanese PM is to deliver the 41st Sapru House Lecture at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan during which he is set to unveil his government’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy. The meeting between the two leaders will give the two sides an opportunity to review the progress made in their bilateral ties since the last Summit meeting held in March 2022. The meeting is being held at a significant time when India and Japan are holding the Presidencies of the G20 and G7, respectively. This visit therefore gives the two sides an opportunity to cooperate and discuss on how G20 and G7 can work together on converging our priorities on critical global issues including food and health security, energy transitions and economic security. India and Japan share ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. India-Japan relations were elevated to ‘Global Partnership’ in 2000, ‘Strategic and Global Partnership’ in 2006, and ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ in 2014. Last year, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Kishida met three times – when the Japanese PM visited India for the 14th Annual Summit in March; and when PM Modi visited Tokyo in May for the Quad Summit, and again in September when he attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Both sides have been holding regular Annual Summits since 2006 (the last Annual Summit was held in March 2022 in New Delhi). Japan is a very close partner with which India has both an Annual Summit and a 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

The partnership encompasses a wide range of areas, ranging from defence and security, trade and investment, S&T, Education, healthcare, critical and emerging technologies and several others. Defense and security cooperation has emerged as one of the most important pillars of the bilateral Special Strategic and Global Partnership and an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The successful conduct of the first fighter jet exercise “Veer Guardian” in January 2023 in Japan between the two nations is a significant milestone. This was followed closely by the 4th “Dharma Guardian” army exercise, which was conducted for the first time in Japan. Maritime security cooperation including Navy to Navy cooperation has seen significant progress with a large number of exercises being conducted. In November last year, India took part in the International Fleet Review in Japan and the Malabar exercise off the Coast of Japan. This was preceded by the JIMEX between the two navies in September. Both sides are also making steady progress under the Defence Equipment and Technology Agreement signed in 2015. In the sphere of Commercial and economic ties, the bilateral trade stood at USD 20.75 billion last year, which was the largest ever. Japan and India have set up Japan Industrial Townships or JITs to promote economic partnership, investment, industry and infrastructure development. These are integrated industrial parks with ready-made operational platforms; world class infrastructure facilities; plug-in-play factories; and investment incentives for Japanese companies.

There are currently 11 functioning JITs spread across eight states. India and Japan have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) since 2011. The Agreement covers not only trade in goods but also services, movement of natural persons, investments, intellectual property rights, custom procedures and other trade related issues. India and Japan have an Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) under which both countries are cooperating to promote industrial cooperation between the two countries. A Roadmap under IJICP was launched at the Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March 2022. (The meeting of the IJICP took place in Tokyo on February 28 this year. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary, DPIIT from the Indian side and Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry from the Japanese side). Japan is the 5th largest investor in India. A large number of Japanese companies are exploring opportunities in India in several sectors. Today there are around 1,450 Japanese companies that are operating in India, in comparison to a only few hundred over eight years back. As of date, 26 Japanese companies have benefited from Production Linked Incentive Schemes.

Japan has been extending bilateral loan and grant assistance to India since 1958. Japan is the largest bilateral donor to India. Japanese ODA supports India’s efforts for accelerated economic development particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs. Skill development and movement of skilled workers from India to Japan is an area where complementarities between Indian and Japanese economies exists. India and Japan have signed Memorandums of Cooperation on Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) and Specified Skilled Worker (SSW). Till January 2023, 606 candidates have come under TITP arrangement to Japan and have found internship in various companies in Japan. Under the Specified Skilled Workers Programme (SSW), which facilitates employment of skilled Indian professionals in Japan, 120 Indian youth have already been gainfully employed in Japan. The two nations launched a Clean Energy Partnership during the Annual Summit held last year. It aims to promote energy cooperation between the two sides through diverse and realistic energy transitions utilizing all energy sources and technologies to ensure energy security, carbon neutrality and economic growth.