India, US and Japan to work on development assistance
The three sides feel they should explore possibility of working together in Myanmar, Afghanistan and Africa
New Delhi: India, Japan and the US will explore the possibility of pooling their strengths in the area of development assistance to work together in Africa, Afghanistan and Myanmar, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said on Tuesday.
This was decided at the third meeting among the three countries in New Delhi on Monday, he said. The three nations “shared their strategic overviews over the Asia-Pacific region"— a reference to the maritime tensions among countries in East and South East Asia due to overlapping claims over island chains in the area and the rise of China.
“There was a very interesting discussion on Myanmar, Afghanistan and also Africa and the three sides felt they should explore the possibility of working together in development cooperation in a combined manner in these places. This matter will be carried further," Akbaruddin said. India, Japan and the US are involved in development work in Africa, while India has committed more than $2 billion dollars for reconstruction and development activities in war-torn Afghanistan where US-led international troops are locked in a war with a resurgent Taliban.
“The US and Japan are interested in the kind of development assistance we offer to African countries—the Pan-African e-network for example," a person familiar with the developments said. “So this is something we can explore. In case of Afghanistan, cooperation of this kind is possible with the US only after 2014 when international troops pull out of Afghanistan. Japan is already active in development cooperation there."
India, Japan and the US started talks in this format in December last year with their first meeting in Tokyo. The second meeting took place in Washington in April this year.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!