India Launches New Trilateral with Italy and Japan for Indo-Pacific Stability

On Thursday, India-Italy-Japan launched a trilateral partnership to establish stability and a govern-based global order based on the approval of all in the Indo-Pacific region.

The trilateral was inaugurated through a virtual meeting including the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Embassies of Italy in Tokyo and New Delhi and the Japanese foreign ministry besides ambassadors of the three nations’ key stakeholders.

The ambassadors of Italy in Japan and India, Mr. Giorgio Starace and Mr. Vincenzo de Luca (respectively) inaugurated the event, in the presence of key stakeholders including the Director General for Global Affairs of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Luca Sabbatucci, Secretary (East), MEA Ms. Riva Ganguly Das and the Director General for European Affairs of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Uyama Hideki.

Ms. Das addressed the Europe’s embrace of the Indo-Pacific which emphasizes the rising recognition of the region’s value and grows new opportunities for collaboration with India. “The focus of the European strategy are remarkably related to India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific. We urge Italy to offer support to an India-centric EU Strategy for Collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. This will offer a catalyst to India-Italy collaboration for the region’s peace and prosperity. Further, Italy’s production prowess complements India’s aspiration to develop a reliable connection in the global value supply chains.”

Mentioning to Japan, she said, “India and Japan share close collaboration in the Indo-Pacific guided by union of views for a rule-based, peaceful, open, equitable, stable order in the Indo-Pacific region and a dedication to work for its development, peace, stability and security.”

In a precise memo for China and BRI, Ms. Das indicated that India’s Vision for the Indo-Pacific emphasized equal access to leverage common areas on sea and in air, requiring freedom of navigation, overflight, unrestricted commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes in agreement with international law. “India prevails for an open, rules-based, balanced and stable trade situation in the Indo-Pacific region, which encourages trade and investment. The Vision underlines the significance of developing infrastructure and connectivity, based on the values of sovereignty and regional integrity, consultation, great governance, transparency and sustainability.”

Italian government sources said, “For India and Japan, collaboration with Italy in the Indo-Pacific could signify the participation of the country that is presently holding the G20 Presidency in the current process and that share with India and Japan the identical core values of democracy and freedom of navigation.”

Mr. Sabbatucci said, “The Indo-Pacific issue is becoming progressively critical in international affairs, both for its profitable depth and for the political pressures that go through the macro-region. For Italy, it is developing a gradually priority area, as indicated by our recent collaboration with the Indian Ocean Rim Association /IORA and ASEAN.”

Mr. Starace said, “The success of the event highlights the developing interest of Italy. The discussion highlighted clarity on Indo-Pacific areas and we all concluded to keep it stable, free, inclusive and prosperous”.

Mr. Vincenzo de Luca said, “We must combine bilateral partnership to encourage an articulated multilateral method in the Indo-Pacific region, beginning from improving economic and trade affairs. In this context, Italy can play a prominent role in the area of infrastructure, energy transition, connectivity and digitalisation.”

In 2020, India-France-Australia initiated a trilateral approach and this has taken impetus with the foreign ministerial stage meet in 2021. India and Japan are part of two other trilateral approach for the Indo-Pacific region –– India-Japan-Australia and India-Japan-USA. Besides, India and Australia have initiated a trilateral involving Indonesia, SE Asia’s biggest nation. India-Japan-Russia has initiated track two level trilateral approach for the Indo-Pacific region with particular emphasis on Russian Far-East.