India`s new geo-political trilateral with Italy, Japan |
The unending geo-political focus on the Indo-Pacific continues. Now India has a trilateral with Japan and Italy, saying it emboldens the move to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains peaceful and open. Speaking at the India-Japan-Italy Trilateral Webinar on Indo-Pacific held on 17th June, MEA Secretary East, Riva Ganguly Das, claimed that India stands for an open, balanced, rules-based and stable trade environment in the Indo-Pacific Region to promote trade and investment. She said India`s Indo-Pacific Oceans` Initiative (IPOI) is envisaged as an open, inclusive and non-treaty-based global initiative aimed at promoting practical cooperation by drawing on existing regional architectures like the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit (EAS) framework, IORA and PIF. Besides India, several countries and regions have articulated their own concept and vision for the Indo-Pacific. These nations include Japan, the US, Australia, ASEAN, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and most recently the EU. India and Japan share close partnership in the Indo-Pacific. Europe`s embrace of the Indo-Pacific underlines the growing recognition of the region`s importance and unfolds new opportunities for cooperation with India, and the strategy are strikingly similar to that of india. The newly launched India-EU Connectivity Partnership also provides a framework for India and Italy to strengthen sustainable connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region. Das also said that New Delhi`s Vision for the Indo-Pacific underlines equal access for all to the use of common spaces on sea and in air, mandating freedom of navigation, overflight, unimpeded commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.
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