PM Modi in Tokyo to attend launch of US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, engage with top business leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Tokyo on Monday, will meet top business leaders of Japan while he will also be attending the Indo-Pacific economic framework event (IPEF). US President Joe Biden will launch IPEF this evening. The IPEF is an initiative of the US President which is seen as a move to counter Chinese influence in the region. Biden will unveil the IPEF while more details of the initiative are still to be known.

The PM will be participating at the launch of IPEF. But whether India joins the initiative or negotiations will take place remains to be seen. Through IPEF, the US will be looking for partner countries in the region to work on shared objectives like clean energy, decarbonization, infrastructure and improving the supply chainIndia has time and again underlined the need for a reliable supply chain. Speaking to ANI on the issue, the Indian Ambassador to Japan Sanjay Kumar Verma told ANI that the supply chain will continue to be the main issue at the summit.

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"When you see prosperity, peace and stability in the Indo Pacific, the supply chain will continue to be the main issue. And that is why India, Japan and Australia signed a trilateral agreement on the supply chain resilience initiative. What has happened is that many of these supply chains are concentrated in one particular geography and whenever that gets disrupted or those who control that geography wish to disrupt than the entire supply chain gets disrupted and people or industries which are downstream face the music," Ambassador Kumar said.

India will also be participating in the Quad meet tomorrow, which is expected to bring back focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Many see Quad as a counterforce to China, however, the Indian envoy to Japan says Quad is not directed against any country. "Quad is a positive, constructive agenda. So we don`t target a country or a region. What we look forward to is peace and stability in the Indo Pacific region, which should be adhered to. We await to see that international laws are followed and also free and open Indo Pacific is ensured. In our case free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific is seen as a viable option," he said.

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"We want to see that no country takes the route of coercive economic policy so all these are in the basket but the prime motive, agenda, objective of Quad meeting is to see a peaceful stable and prosperous Indo Pacific," the envoy said. The Russian-Ukraine conflict is also expected to dominate the Quad meet on Tuesday. Ambassador Sanjay Varma said, "I can not predict what the leaders will discuss but yes this is one of the global phenomena at the moment and that development has not only affected geopolitics but also affected energy and food security. So again being an outsider, I should say it will be. Discussed or not discussed, but certainly, it is a major global agenda at the moment."

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