Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has said that India is an indispensable partner to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. Addressing the India-Japan forum in New Delhi this morning, Mr Hayashi said, Japan is very keen to work hand-in-hand with India to make its G20 presidency successful. He said, to expand the Japan-India bilateral relationship, it is important that both nations promote people-to-people exchange. 

The Japanese Foreign Minister said, Prime Ministers of Japan and India have agreed to further promote exchanges. He said, this year 2023 has been named as Japan India tourism year exchange. Mr. Hayashi said, India is an integral partner in the United Nations security council where we have been working shoulder to shoulder in G4. He said, G7 leaders have agreed in the Hiroshima summit that attempts to change the status quo by force cannot be tolerated. The Japanese Foreign Minister said, cooperation between like-minded countries like India and Japan to counter-terrorism is a top priority issue.

Addressing the event, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said, for India and many Asian countries, Japan is the exemplary moderniser. He said, it was Japan's effort to modernise, progress, and industrialise in the 19th century. It is also a country for which there is a lot of goodwill in history. The External Affairs Minister said, Japan is a natural partner in modernising India. He said, Japan has truly unleashed the revolution in India, be it the Suzuki revolution, metro revolution, upcoming high-speed rail and critical, emerging technologies, and semi-conductors. 

Dr. Jaishankar said, today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is becoming self-reliant and modern. He said, there are some really important challenges in the world, like missile nuclear proliferation and terrorism and it is important that we address root causes and root countries which are behind this. It is important that Japan and India are on the same page on the issue.