During the inaugural Raisina Roundtable held in Tokyo, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the significance of Japan recognizing India's evolving landscape and the rapid pace of change within the nation. He stressed that India's ongoing transformation renders it a more effective and reliable partner on the global stage.
Jaishankar highlighted India's impressive developmental strides, citing statistics such as the construction of 28 kilometers of highways daily, the establishment of eight new airports annually, and the consistent development of one-and-a-half to two metros each year. He underscored India's educational advancements, noting the creation of two new colleges daily over the past decade, alongside a doubling of technical and medical institutions. These developments, he asserted, position India as a robust and credible partner.
Emphasizing the vast changes across sectors including business, infrastructure, digitalization, and innovation culture, Jaishankar urged Japan to acknowledge India's evolution. He underscored India's inclination towards collaborative efforts with like-minded partners, stressing the importance of recognizing this shift.
Jaishankar underscored the imperative of reforming global institutions like the United Nations to reflect contemporary realities. He asserted that India and Japan, as central players in Asian multipolarity, must endeavor to ensure that the global balance remains inclined towards principles of freedom, openness, transparency, and a rules-based order.
Addressing the volatile and uncertain global landscape, Jaishankar stressed the need for India and Japan to confront these challenges together, both at the national level and within the framework of their bilateral relationship.
Furthermore, Jaishankar called for Japanese cooperation in development assistance for the Global South. He highlighted India's extensive development efforts spanning 78 nations across various continents, underlining its commitment as a leading voice of the Global South.
The Raisina Roundtable@Tokyo, following the recent Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, focused on how India and Japan, with their special strategic partnership, plan to address global challenges. Jaishankar's visit to Japan, coinciding with the 16th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, aimed to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues, as well as cooperation for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Over the past decade, the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership has deepened across various sectors including defense, digital technologies, clean energy, high-speed rail, industrial competitiveness, and connectivity, further cementing the strong ties between the two nations.
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