S Jaishankar

AT A time China is attempting to expand its influence in the region, India and Japan are looking at working together in third countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, reflecting growing congruence of their strategic interests. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that both India and Japan have actually started to look at working practically in third countries, adding “we have done a little bit of that in Sri Lanka.”

 

He said, the signing of a military logistics pact by India and Japan recently would act as a “big plus” for the evolution of Indo-Pacific vision of both countries and add to the security and stability of Asia. He was speaking on India-Japan ties at a conference organised by industry chamber FICCI. The External Affairs Minister also said that large and important nations of Asia should get along together as spending their energies in countering each other would not advance the interests of the continent. The comments, which came at a time Asian giants India and China are locked in a bitter border stand-off, are seen as an indirect reference to China.

 

“If we are to make Asia a more prominent place in world politics, then it is important for all nations, especially the large and important ones to get along together. Because if they spend their energies not in a positive manner, but kind of countering each other, they are not going to advance the interests of Asia,” he said. Talking about evolution of India-Japan ties, Jaishankar said both countries are now looking at working together in third countries, adding it is still in the “early stages”. “The fact that we first began to have discussions about third countries. Now we have actually started to look at working practically in third countries. We have done a little bit of that in Sri Lanka,” he said.