India’s MAHASAGAR, Japan’s FOIP Alignment More Important Than Ever: Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Emphasising the deep strategic interlinkages between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday stated that a close alignment between India's MAHASAGAR vision and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative is "more important now than ever before".

India's MAHASAGAR vision expands to 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions'.

Delivering his opening remarks during a meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi, Rajnath Singh said, "Our maritime lifelines are facing growing vulnerabilities. Our efforts to ensure freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce are not just an economic necessity but a strategic imperative. The security of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is deeply interlinked."

"Therefore, a close alignment between India's MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative is more important now than ever before," he added. Rajnath Singh welcomed Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi alongside his visiting delegation to India. The foreign delegation landed in Mumbai on Wednesday, conducting several engagements with the Western Naval Command prior to arriving in the national capital.

Conveying India's solidarity with Japan in the wake of the devastating earthquake in the Kumamoto region, the Defence Minister said, "Let me express my deepest sympathies and solidarity of the Government and people of India following the devastating earthquake in the Kumamoto region. We are saddened by the loss of life and hardships faced by the affected people. Yet, we remain deeply inspired by the remarkable resilience, swift emergency response and preparedness of Japan."(ANI)

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