With both India and
Japan facing an assertive China, New Delhi this week came out clearly on
Tokyo's side on the high seas. During his visit to Tokyo this week,
foreign minister Salman Khurshid said India would help Japan to ensure freedom of navigation on the seas, a key assurance before the visit of PM Manmohan Singh to Japan in May.
"There can be little doubt that countries like India and Japan must cooperate in ensuring the security of the global commons including freedom of navigation on the high seas that is critical to both our countries which import large amounts of oil and gas."Let me say clearly today that India stands with Japan, and other like-minded countries, in pursuing and implementing these goals and objectives," Khurshid said during a speech at the Rikkyo University in Tokyo earlier this week.
Japan has been involved in a dispute with China on the East China Sea, while this week Beijing's naval patrols off Malaysia and Brunei have raised concerns there as well. India retains commercial interests in South China Sea, but may come up against China's aggressive patrolling there too.
However, to clarify matters officially, Khurshid said, "All this cooperation is not aimed at any other country but helps us to gain valuable knowledge and experience about the interoperability of our defence forces." He added, "Indian and Japanese Coast Guards have regular interactions as does the Indian Navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force."
"There can be little doubt that countries like India and Japan must cooperate in ensuring the security of the global commons including freedom of navigation on the high seas that is critical to both our countries which import large amounts of oil and gas."Let me say clearly today that India stands with Japan, and other like-minded countries, in pursuing and implementing these goals and objectives," Khurshid said during a speech at the Rikkyo University in Tokyo earlier this week.
Japan has been involved in a dispute with China on the East China Sea, while this week Beijing's naval patrols off Malaysia and Brunei have raised concerns there as well. India retains commercial interests in South China Sea, but may come up against China's aggressive patrolling there too.
However, to clarify matters officially, Khurshid said, "All this cooperation is not aimed at any other country but helps us to gain valuable knowledge and experience about the interoperability of our defence forces." He added, "Indian and Japanese Coast Guards have regular interactions as does the Indian Navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force."
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