Leaders of India, US, Japan to Meet on 2018 G20

[Vikrant]

The meeting of three nationalists.

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For New Delhi, Washington, and Tokyo, the upcoming trilateral meeting between the leaders’ will be an important first and serve as a symbolic moment to underline the three capitals’ common interests in a coherent Indo-Pacific strategic region.

Along with Australia, the three countries compose a quadrilateral group of like-minded democracies that have also increased their coordination after a November 2017 working-level meeting in Manila, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ summits.

This so-called “quad” has met two additional times since, including this month in Singapore. The quadrilateral was originally constituted in 2007, during Abe’s first non-consecutive prime ministerial term, but was disbanded thereafter amid Chinese criticism.

Trilateral coordination between India, the United States, and Japan has grown in recent years, most notably with the 2015 trilateralization of the U.S. Navy-Indian Navy Malabar naval exercise to include Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force as well.

The three countries held their first working-level trilateral meeting in December 2011 amid shared concerns about China. While the United States and Japan are treaty allies, India is a close strategic partner of both countries. In 2015, the trilateral dialogue was upgraded to the level of foreign ministers.

In 2016, the United States declared India a “major defense partner,” granting New Delhi access to certain sensitive defense technologies at the same level as a U.S. ally. Meanwhile, Tokyo and New Delhi, in 2008, issued a joint declaration on security cooperation and have since deepened their strategic and defense cooperation.

During a summit meeting earlier this year in Japan, Modi and Abe announced that the two sides would soon start talks on an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) that would give the armed forces of both sides reciprocal access to the others’ facilities for logistics and resupply.

“The two leaders welcomed the joint exercise between each of the three services and the commencement of negotiations on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which will enhance the strategic depth of bilateral security and defense cooperation,” the Modi-Abe October 29 joint statement reads.

A First: Leaders of US, Japan, India to Meet on 2018 G20 Sidelines for Trilateral

 

[Vikrant]

Remarks by President Trump, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and Prime Minister Modi of the Republic of India Before Trilateral Meeting

Centro Costa Salguero
Buenos Aires, Argentina

2:39 P.M. AST

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s a great honor to be with Prime Minister Modi of India, and, as you know, Prime Minister Abe of Japan. And we just had a great meeting, and we’re having now what we call a “trilat.”

The relationships between our three countries is extremely — extremely good, extremely strong. I think, with India, maybe stronger than ever. And with Japan, I think, stronger than ever. We’re doing very well together. We’re doing a lot of trade together. We’re doing a lot of defense together, a lot of military purchases.

And we’re going to now have a little discussion between the three of us. So thank you very much.

Mr. Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER MODI: (As interpreted.) I feel this is a very good occasion for our three countries — countries which have shared values, democratic values — Japan, America, and India together. We will be playing a big role together for world peace, prosperity, and stability.

I’m also happy that both the countries are our strategic partners. Both of them are very good friends. And the three countries together — it is a matter of good fortune that we will work together.

When you look at the acronym of our three countries — Japan, America, and India — it is “JAI,” which, in Hindi or in India, in general, is for “success.” In a way, this “JAI” — “success,” this message — is a good message that goes out. It’s a good beginning.

And together, as I said earlier, we’ll be playing a very big role to work together for world peace, prosperity, and stability.

PRIME MINISTER ABE: (As interpreted.) I am very delighted to hold the first-ever Japan-U.S.-India trilateral summit meeting today. Japan, the U.S., and India share fundamental values and strategic interests. And I certainly hope to further reinforce our trilateral partnership and to continuing our close cooperation toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

By having three of us working together, we’ll bring more prosperity and more stability in the region, as well as globally.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much.

Q Mr. President, what did you discuss with MBS?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We had no discussion. We had no discussion. We might, but had none.

Thank you very much everybody.

END

2:43 P.M. AST

Remarks by President Trump, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and Prime Minister Modi of the Republic of India Before Trilateral Meeting | The White House