Kishida backs Japan-India exchanges for peace and development
Japan-India Association chairman Fumio Kishida will consider visiting India in 2027, with business and other anniversary events being planned.
- Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, now chairman of the Japan-India Association, is promoting expanded non-governmental exchanges to support peace and development in both nations and internationally.
- Kishida highlights India's strategic importance for the "free and open Indo-Pacific" initiative and its leadership role among the emerging countries of the Global South.
- The exchanges will focus on areas like culture (film, anime), technology (IT, AI), and economic cooperation, leveraging Japan's technological strengths and India's young talent.
- A key goal is to increase engagement with India's younger generation, who Kishida believes will play a leading role in the future.
Closer contact between the people of Japan and India can support peace and development in both countries and internationally, according to Fumio Kishida, the former Japanese prime minister, who is determined to expand those exchanges as chairman of the Japan-India Association.
Kishida wants the non-governmental exchanges promoted by the Japan-India Association to help advance peace and development.
“Strengthening ties with India contributes to peace and development in the international community,” he told Jiji Press in a recent interview.
Kishida gives particular weight to India's international role in advancing the free and open Indo-Pacific initiative and providing leadership among the emerging countries of the Global South.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Group of 20 (G20) summit in New Delhi in 2023, the same year Kishida chaired the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima.
Kishida's experience of strengthening Japan-India relations through those meetings helped him recognise India's international importance.
Kishida noted the popularity of Indian culture, including films and cuisine, among Japanese people.
He described Japan's rapidly growing content industry as “highly praised” in India.
Information technology is one of the fields in which young Indian talent is “highly sought after worldwide”, Kishida said, stressing the demand in the age of artificial intelligence.
Discussing India's younger generation, Kishida said: “It's important for Japan to increase exchanges with this generation that will play the leading role in the future.”
He also called India “an important partner with great potential”.
“I believe Japan's technological strengths are appealing to India,” Kishida said.
Manufacturing growth and job creation are the aims of Modi's signature “Make in India” initiative.
Kishida, drawing on his own experience as prime minister, described Modi as “a strong-willed politician” determined to improve India through the programme.
Further economic cooperation requires help for Japanese companies facing difficulties in India, Kishida said.
Firms trying to operate there often struggle because frequent changes to standards and tax rules are hard to predict.
The 75th anniversary of the normalisation of Japan-India diplomatic relations falls in 2027, alongside the 80th anniversary of India's founding.
With many business and other events being planned, Kishida said the Japan-India Association would cooperate to build a more festive atmosphere.
Among the cultural exchange events expected next year are those linked to Japanese anime and manga, Kishida said.
A visit to India next year is a possibility Kishida said he would consider as chairman of the Japan-India Association.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
