India, Japan look to align strategy on West Asia crises

India and Japan discussed the evolving situation in West Asia when external affairs minister S Jaishankar hosted his counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi in Delhi on Friday. They discussed how to de-risk their own economies as well as the international economy, resilient supply chains and critical minerals.

Along with the developments in Iran, the Israel-Hamas crisis and the Saudi Arabia-UAE conflict, the two ministers also discussed aligning India's maritime initiative, Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR), with Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific outlook. With Motegi visiting Qatar, Israel and Palestine ahead of the India trip, West Asia figured high in the discussion.

"India attaches very great priority to its friendship with Japan, and over the last two decades, we have been successful in transforming the relationship from what was primarily an economic relationship into one that is broad, comprehensive and strategic in its focus," Jaishankar said. "Much time has passed but the relationship today sees that our initiative, what we call MAHASAGAR - which is oceans in a way, and our vision for the Indo-Pacific aligns closely with your Free and Open Indo-Pacific outlook."


Describing both countries as major economies, the external affairs minister said "we are the major economies of the world, and we have today not just an opportunity, but also an obligation, a duty to shape the global order, and in the current uncertain global situation, it's even more important that we work closely towards shared strategic goals".

"Economic security today is particularly paramount. I think both our countries attach enormous importance to it, and how to de-risk our own economies, and how to de-risk the international economy are both very important," Jaishankar said.

The two ministers also discussed energy, health and maritime security issues.