Modi 2.0 Seeing Stronger India-Japan Ties

The two countries’ relationship has progressed significantly, given their position in the Indo-Pacific region and ties with the US

- Rupakjyoti Borah

The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan for the G20 Summit in Osaka gave him an opportunity to exchange views with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for the first time in his second term. Earlier this year, Modi came back to power with a decisive mandate in the general elections, which has given him and his government greater flexibility when it comes to foreign affairs. In addition, the appointment of S Jaishankar as the Minister of External Affairs is a strong signal about the importance accorded to foreign affairs by this government. Jaishankar had earlier been the Foreign Secretary of India and had served in the US, China, and Japan as a career diplomat.

Abe and Modi have met on several occasions in the past, and Japan and India have been holding an annual bilateral summit at the Prime Ministerial level. In a sign of their growing closeness, India and Japan will be holding their maiden 2+2 meeting (between their foreign and defence ministers) ahead of the annual bilateral summit between the two Prime Ministers, later this year.

Why the closeness?

This is something worth exploring, since it is only in the post-Cold War era that the two countries started reaching out to each other. First, the ties between India and Japan have progressed at a rapid pace under the watch of the two leaders. When Modi visited Japan last year for the annual bilateral summit, he was invited by Abe, in a rare gesture, to his holiday home in the Yamanashi prefecture near Tokyo, reflecting the camaraderie between the two leaders.

Second, the regional environment in the Indo-Pacific has contributed to the growing ties between the two countries. The rise of China has been an important factor, while India’s growing closeness with the US has also played a role, as the US and Japan already have a close alliance.