FEC

FEC, Japan-India Association and Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League  jointly organized the speech event of H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India at Hotel Okura Tokyo on May 28. More than 600 people including the executives of three organizations and media attended.

Prime Minister Singh delivered the speech as follows: “ I am reminded of Prime Minister Abe’s inspiring and visionary address to the Indian Parliament in August 2007, when he spoke of “the confluence of the two seas” –the Pacific and the Indian Oceans –which has defined the new framework for our bilateral relationship. The Indo-Pacific region faces multiple challenges, unresolved issues and unsettled questions. Historical differences persist despite our growing inter-dependence; prosperity has not fully eliminated disparities within and between states; and there are continuing threats to stability and security. It is our responsibility to foster a climate of peace, stability and cooperation and to lay an enduring foundation for security and prosperity. I would like to suggest three areas of cooperation in this regard.

First, we should strengthen regional mechanisms and forums that will help develop habits of consultation and cooperation, enable us to evolve commonly accepted principles for managing differences and allow us to address common challenges.

Second, we should promote wider and deeper regional economic integration and enhance regional connectivity. This will promote more balanced and broad-based economic development across the region and also contribute to a more balanced regional architecture.

Third, maritime security across the linked regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans is essential for regional and global prosperity. We should therefore uphold the principles of freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in accordance with international law.

Prime Minister expressed his expectation by saying that the world has a huge stake in Japan’s success in restoring the momentum of its growth.