Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is shaking G20 foundation, says Kishida

Russia's aggression against Ukraine is "shaking the very foundation of cooperation at the G20" and the leaders' declaration at the summit in New Delhi is a significant achievement as all members concurred on principles such as territorial integrity, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday, addressing criticism that the joint communique wasn't strong enough on the issue, and explaining that it was actually much more specific.

- Rezaul H Laskar 

Kishida reiterated his characterisation of India as an "indispensable partner" for Japan's plans to achieve a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" - a vision he first outlined at a speech in the Indian capital in March. He noted that bilateral defence cooperation is deepening steadily as the three services of both countries have conducted joint exercises. "Russia's aggression of Ukraine is shaking the very foundation of cooperation at the G20... Further, it is causing enormous impact to the world economy through such factors such as protracted rise of food and energy prices. Today, as the world faces complex crisis, collaboration at the G20 as a premier forum for economic cooperation is becoming increasingly important," Kishida said, speaking in Japanese.