Japan PM on India's 'neutral' stance on Russia: 'Even amongst like-minded...'
India has previously emphasized that dialogue is the only way forward.
As the Quad Leaders' Summit takes place under the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has sparked global concerns, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was on Tuesday asked about India's stand on the war and its impact on the Quad.
In his reply, Kishida sought to understand India's “neutral stance” on the Ukraine war, unlike the Western nations that have not only criticised Moscow but also imposed punitive sanctions on the Kremlin to stop Putin from escalating the conflict in Kyiv. India has previously emphasized that dialogue is the only way forward. “On the international situation, each country has its own historical developments as well as geographical situation. Even amongst like-minded countries, the positions may not agree fully. That is only natural. But with that as a premise, to deepen mutual understanding and to spread the cooperation and collaboration would be crucial among the Quad members,” the Japanese PM said.
He also underlined that as far as the Ukrainian situation was concerned, all Quad leaders have been able to “reaffirm the importance of rule of law and sovereignty, and territorial integrity” among other things.
“For the Ukrainian situation, amongst the four leaders, including India, we were able to reaffirm the importance of various principles like rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity and that unilateral change of status quo or force shall never be allowed in any region,” he added.
The Japanese PM also condemned Russia's Ukraine invasion and said a "powerful message of commitment" was conveyed to the whole world as Quad member nations met in Tokyo.
"Russian invasion of Ukraine, an incident that shook the very foundation of international order - with the participation of Pres Biden, PM Modi and PM Albanese, we have been able to send off a powerful message of commitment by the four leaders from Tokyo to the whole world," he said after the conclusion of the Quad Leaders Summit.
The leaders of the Quad nations – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – met on Tuesday in Tokyo for the second time in person.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that the Quad's scope has become extensive despite Covid-19 challenges. He also noted that the mutual trust and determination of the member countries including the US, Australia, and Japan is giving new energy and enthusiasm to democratic powers.