PRIME Minister Sanae Takaichi vowed Saturday to take an active role in building international order and economic security in a speech on the next stage of the free and open Indo-Pacific. Takaichi delivered the speech on the initiative’s 10th anniversary after holding talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and President To Lam in Hanoi, as Japan looks to deepen its ties with Southeast Asian nations by increasing economic engagement with the region.
The two countries agreed to boost their partnership in economic security including Japan’s aid for oil procurement, as it seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical resources amid the Middle East crisis. Outlining the evolved form of the Indo-Pacific initiative in an address at a university in Hanoi,
Takaichi said it will focus on cooperation to strengthen supply chain resilience, promoting economic growth through shared rules, and on enhancing security cooperation for regional peace and stability. “In this challenging environment, it is essential for countries in the region to acquire ‘resilience,’” she said, saying it is decisive in economic, social and security areas to allow countries to “determine their own future”.
Kyodo
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