Supports Japan for freedom of navigation on high seas: India

India today assured Japan that it "stands" by it to ensure freedom of navigation on the high seas, an assurance that comes in the backdrop of increasing conflicts in the Pacific involving China.
"There can be little doubt that countries like India and Japan must cooperate in ensuring the security of the global commons including freedom of navigation on the high seas that is critical to both our countries which import large amounts of oil and gas.
"Let me say clearly today that India stands with Japan, and other like minded countries, in pursuing and implementing these goals and objectives," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here.

Khurshid, who is here to jointly co-chair the 7th annual India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, was speaking at the Rikkyo University.
Khurshid's remarks came at a time when Japan is involved in territorial dispute of islands with China in East China Sea. Incidentally, China is also involved in maritime row with other countries like Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Giving details of Indo-Japan defence cooperation, Khurshid said, "All this cooperation is not aimed at any other country but helps us to gain valuable knowledge and experience about the interoperability of our defence forces."

He also said, "Political and security cooperation between India and Japan has a significance which goes beyond our two countries. We are both members of the East Asia Summit process and we desire to see this architecture being open, transparent and inclusive".