Kishida From Japan And Modi From India Discussed The Response To The Ukrainian Crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s official residence on February 25, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. Rodrigo Reyes Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

MUMBAI, March 19 – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had shaken “the foundations of the international order” and required a clear response, he said on Saturday.

India and Japan are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quadra), a security structure that also includes the United States and Australia, but India is the only Quadra member that has not condemned the invasion.

Japan has imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and entities since the start of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine and has taken in Ukrainian refugees.

“We (Kishida and Modi) reaffirmed that any unilateral change to the status quo by force cannot be forgiven in any region and a peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law must be sought,” Kishida told reporters after meeting with Modi in New Delhi. .

Kishida also announced plans to invest 5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in India over five years. India has signed agreements with divisions of Japan’s Suzuki Motor (7269.T) to invest about $1.4 billion in electric vehicle and battery production in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, which also includes a car scrappage scheme, but it was unclear if this was part of the whole 5 trillion yen.

The leaders expressed their seriousness regarding the conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis there. Modi refrained from direct comments on Ukraine, but noted that geopolitical incidents “present new challenges.”

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India’s foreign minister, told reporters that the two leaders “assessed the broader implications, especially for the Indo-Pacific region. They stressed the importance of the security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.”

Japan’s foreign direct investment in India has mainly been in the automotive, electrical, telecommunications, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. Since 2000, investments in India have amounted to about $27.28 billion.

In 2020, the two countries signed a Procurement and Mutual Service Agreement that allows mutual stockpiling of food, fuel and other supplies between their defense forces.

Additional reporting by Ju-Min Park and Kentaro Sugiyama in Tokyo; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David Holmes

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