Following today’s deliberations, the three sides came to a consensus, deciding on sustained efforts to improve relations in the Indo-Pacific region.
India on Wednesday took part in the 9th Trilateral Meeting with Japan and the United States where representatives of the three nations held deliberations on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The dialogue was aimed at exploring practical steps to enhance cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism, maritime security, maritime domain awareness and Humanitarian Assistance And Disaster Relief, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release.
The trilateral talks were held in accordance with the directions received from the foreign ministers of the three countries, who had met in New York on 18 September 2017 on the margins of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The meeting, which was being conducted at the Joint Secretary/Director General/Assistant Secretary level, also included reviewing the results of the Trilateral Infrastructure Working Group. Earlier in February this year, the group had met in Washington and had agreed on cooperation in order to promote increased connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Following today’s deliberations, the three sides came to a consensus, deciding on sustained efforts to improve relations in the region. The countries agreed to remain engaged and strengthen cooperation in support of a free, open, prosperous, peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific region through partnership with countries in the region.
India, the US, Australia and Japan, in November last year, had given shape to the long-pending Quadrilateral grouping to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence.
The United States has been supporting India’s greater role in the Indo-Pacific region. The Trump administration’s South Asia policy, laid out in US President Donald Trump’s speech last year, included developing the US’s strategic partnership with India.
(With agencies inputs)