Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has mooted a Three-Point cooperation programme for fostering a climate of peace, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region. Addressing a gathering of Japan-India Friendship league, Japan-India Association and International Friendship Exchange Council in Tokyo today, he said strengthening regional mechanism, widening economic integration and Maritime security across the Indian-and Pacific Ocean regions will be the basis for prosperity in the region.
Stating that the Asia Pacific region is facing major social and economic changes, Dr Singh emphasised the need for charting out a new course for Asia in this century to tackle multiple challenges and unresolved issues. Dr Singh said India’s Look East policy which began with strong economic emphasis has become increasingly strategic in its content and Japan has been at the heart of it. He described Japan as an indispensible and natural partner in India’s quest for stability and peace in Asia.
Recounting India’s historic and special relationship with Japan for the past 110 years, Dr. Singh advocated for an open, rule-based international trading system in place and felt India and Japan together can seek a new architecture for the United Nations Security Council.
Dr Singh conferred Padma Shri award on Professor Noboru Karashima, an eminent Japanese scholar who worked for South Indian History. He could not travel to New Delhi when Padma awards were conferred recently.
Earlier addressing business community in Tokyo this morning, the Prime Minister called upon Japanese Industry to make use of investment opportunities in India and increase its present Indian share of four percent in the Japanese outward investments. He said strong commercial partnership between India and Japan should be the corner stone of bilateral relationship. Dr. Singh called for harnessing full potential of India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership by expanding trade in a balanced manner. He said India is committed to taking hard and difficult decisions in the long-term interest of the economy. He assured Japanese industry that the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime will be in place by 2014.
Japanese foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Minister of Economy and Trade Mr Toshimitsu Motegi called on the Prime Minister. The bilateral values, interests and inspirations that India and Japan have been sharing through people to people, political and trade contacts have been widened in the past hundred and ten year. Prime Minister who arrived in Tokyo last evening has addressed Japanese business community as well as elite and intellectuals today. Dr Manmohan Singh has recalled on every forum, his close relations with the land of raising sun ever since he first visited in 1971.
He recounted how the relationship between the two countries blossomed into partnership in Trade between India-Japan and cooperation in defence. Stating that Indian economy is on right track, he emphasised the need for further deepening bilateral and regional business ties and widening cooperation. On the other side by mooting three areas of cooperation for peace and security in the Indian-Pacific Ocean regions, Dr Singh has set the tone for tomorrow’s summit level discussions which he will hold with his Japanese counterpart Mr Shinzo Abe.
