External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and discussed a range of issues including increasing defence equipment and technology cooperation and enhancing connectivity in India’s Northeast.
Top diplomatic sources told The Daily Guardian, “China figured during the telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers.”
According to sources, “Chinese aggressive behaviour in various regions figured during the talk when the conversation touched upon issues related to Quad.”
With his telephonic talk with Hayashi, Jaishankar has so far spoken to all the Quad foreign ministers this year in what suggests a significant momentum being given by the EAM to the Quadrilateral cooperation obviously keeping in view China’s growing belligerence.
Jaishankar has already held conversations with foreign ministers of US and Australia. “India’s border row with China in eastern Ladakh had figured during the talks,” say sources.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar and Hayashi also discussed Covid situation, travel facilitation, bilateral projects, Myanmar, and North Korea. India and Japan are also planning to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in a big way. The foreign ministers discussed the plan on how to celebrate it, sources said.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the two ministers agreed to elevate the special and strategic global partnership between the two countries to greater heights by achieving outcomes in various areas such as political and security issues, economy, and people-to-people exchanges. They also discussed the possibility of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to India and 2+2 dialogue involving the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries.
“The two ministers discussed Japan-Australia-India-US quadrilateral cooperation as well as regional affairs such as Myanmar and confirmed to work hand-in-hand with each other,” said MEA sources. Officially there was no word on whether or not Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart discussed China. However, the Japanese foreign minister is learnt to have touched upon China flexing muscles in the oceanic regions. “Jaishankar had highlighted his concern over the same issue while he held telephonic talks with US and Australian counterparts early this month,” sources told the newspaper.
