EAM Jaishankar calls for expansion of India, Japan partnership to Russia, Pacific Island

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankaron Thursday called for an expansion of the partnership betweenIndia andJapan in third countries such asRussia's far east and Pacific Island.

The commentsare significant since Russian far east borders China and China has been keen to grow its engagement with Pacific Islands.

Speaking at a FICCI virtual event, he said, "one is possibility of economic cooperation in Russian far east, because India has shown much greater willingness to be involved in economic projects there and the other is pacific island countries, we have development partnership and political footprints..has grown significantly".

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra ModivisitedVladivostok last yearfor annual India-Russia bilateral Summit and announcing a Line of Credit of USD 1 billion for development projects in the Russian Far East region. The Line of Credit (LOC) will facilitate undertaking infrastructure and other development projects.

India is also increasing its outreach to Pacific island countries, especially via the Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation or FIPIC which has India and 14 Pacific Island countries, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Both countries already have a partnership in third world countriesfor infrastructure and project development. Joint projects are underway in Sri Lanka, and with EAM saying both are "trying to see if we can cooperate inBangladesh and Myanmar."

India, Japan engage via "act east forum" which is chaired by foreign secretary of India and Japanese envoy to Delhi. It coordinates Japanese investment in India's northeast and the wider region increasing connectivity to Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Jaishankarcalled Japan as India's "most trusted partnersand great inspiration for modernisation in Asia," saying, "we had the Maruti revolution, the metro revolution and bullet revolution in the making..because of the history of Japan, because of the strengths of Japan, it makes you more invaluable partner in our own journey to modernity".

Ties between the twocountries have substantially increased in the last few years due to former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaishankarsaid, India, Japan ties have turned from "narrow bilateral relation" to "landscape of interaction now broader" and signifying "maturing of relations". Adding, it is not "Delhi talking to Tokyo", the relationship has "more conversations, has substance today..and reflects the journey of last 25 years".