Japan presses India to take clear stance on Russia-Ukraine war

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday pushed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to take a clear stance on Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a very serious incident which has shaken the roots of international rules and world order,” Kishida said at a joint news conference in New Delhi, where he arrived earlier in the day on his first visit since becoming Japan's prime minister last October.

“We should be committed to stopping any kind of unilateral changes made by use of force,” he said, stressing the need for a “peaceful solution on the basis of international law.”

Japan has been vocal in its condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine and joined the US and other Western allies in imposing a raft of sanctions on Moscow.

India is a historical ally of Russia but has been growing closer to Washington in recent years.

Since Russia launched a war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, New Delhi has called for a peaceful solution to the crisis but refrained from openly criticizing Moscow.

Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on more than one occasion since the war began, while India was among the countries that abstained on a draft UN Security Council resolution censuring Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

Modi did not directly mention Ukraine in his remarks at the news conference with Kishida, but only made a reference to “geopolitical developments.”

A statement by the Indian Foreign Ministry said the two leaders “expressed their serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region.”

“They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” read the statement.

“They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict.”

The Russia-Ukraine war since on Feb. 24 has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 847 civilians have been killed and 1,399 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Over 3.32 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.

- Japan to invest $42B in India

Modi and Kishida also spoke about their efforts to foster stronger bilateral and economic ties.

“Japan will invest $42 billion in India over the next five years,” Modi said, hailing the “significant growth in economic cooperation” between the two countries.

“Deepening India-Japan partnership will encourage peace, prosperity, and stability in Indo-Pacific region and also at the global level,” he added.

The two sides inked six agreements during the summit and also launched the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership.

“India is a very important partner for Japan and we’ll hold our next talks as soon as possible,” said Kishida, highlighting an agreement for cooperation in cybersecurity as a particularly important achievement.