India, Japan must be 'driving force' for Indo-Pacific: Motegi

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu stated that India and Japan must act as a "driving force" for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative to enhance the resilience and self-reliance of regional countries.

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu on Monday said that India and Japan must act as a "driving force" under Tokyo's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of Indo-Pacific countries to become more resilient and self-reliant amid what he described as major structural shifts in the global order.

Geopolitical Shifts and Shared Responsibility

Delivering his opening remarks during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as part of his two-day visit to the country, the Japanese Foreign Minister underscored that the world is currently witnessing a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty due to what he described as a shift in the global balance of power. "The world is faced with the most significant structural change in the post-war era, driven by shifts in the balance of power and the intensification of conflict and confrontations, and as you rightly pointed out, the security environment has become increasingly severe," Motegi said.

He recalled Jaishankar's earlier remarks at the 18th India-Japan Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in January, where India highlighted its responsibility in shaping the international order, calling the approach "encouraging". "Against such a backdrop, at the outset of the Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in January, you stated that Japan and India not only have opportunities, but also we have an obligation and responsibility to shape the international order. That was really encouraging," he added.

Japan's Updated FOIP Vision

Outlining Japan's updated vision of the FOIP framework, Motegi said Tokyo aims to enhance resilience and self-reliance across countries in the Indo-Pacific region. "Early this month, Prime Minister Takaichi and I delivered policy speeches on updating the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, or FOIP, in Vietnam and Kenya, respectively. The key points of the update were to help countries obtain resilience and capability to decide for themselves across all domains of the economy, society, and security," he said.

He further emphasised that cooperation under FOIP should be tailored to the specific needs of partner countries to ensure regional prosperity and stability. "And we aim to advance cooperation tailored to each country's needs, so that the entire region can become more resilient and prosperous together. To that end, Japan and India indeed need to serve as the driving force of such an initiative, and I look forward to working closely with you also through the Quad framework," he added.

Details of the Updated Framework

Japan's updated FOIP vision, released earlier this month, focuses on building a more resilient and prosperous region based on principles of freedom, openness, inclusiveness, diversity, and the rule of law. It acknowledges rapid global changes driven by technology, rising Global South economies, and geopolitical tensions and calls for an updated approach while retaining FOIP's core 2016 principles. The updated framework emphasises enhancing resilience and self-reliance across Indo-Pacific countries in economic, social, and security domains, with Japan aiming to support partners through tailored cooperation, working with allies like the United States and like-minded nations. Key priorities include strengthening supply chains for energy and critical minerals, building AI- and data-driven infrastructure, promoting innovation and economic growth through public-private cooperation, and enhancing regional security cooperation using tools like ODA, OSA, and defence partnerships.

Upcoming Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Toshimitsu will also attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting - bringing together India, the United States, Australia, and Japan - scheduled for May 26 under the chairmanship of the EAM.

The meeting between the two Foreign Ministers comes ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting discussions on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific Jaishankar is scheduled to chair the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Tuesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu. (ANI)

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