Rajnath Singh meets Japanese counterpart to bolster defence ties
-2_vb_98.gif)
Tokyo (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met with his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada and said the bilateral special strategic and global partnership between the two countries plays a crucial role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
Singh, who is on the last leg of his five-day visit to Mongolia and Japan, met Japan's Minister of Defence Hamada here.
"Reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional affairs during the bilateral meeting with Japan's Minister of Defence, Mr Yasukazu Hamada in Tokyo today. This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries," Singh tweeted.
"India and Japan pursue a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. India's defence partnership with Japan will play a crucial role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo Pacific region," he tweeted.
India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
In Japan, Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join their Japanese counterparts at the '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial dialogue.
The 2+2' dialogue is taking place more than five months after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India for the annual India-Japan summit.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Stalin urges PM Modi to release Rs 3,112 cr pending Jal Jeevan Mission dues to TN
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to release Rs 3,112 crore in pending dues to ensure completion of the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission schemes in the state.
In a letter to Modi, Stalin pointed out that the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, recently indicated that central assistance cannot be extended to the Hogenekkal Phase-III Combined Water Supply Scheme.
This comes despite the project receiving approval in June 2023.
"The scheme was approved in the State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee of the Ministry of Jal Shakti on June 15, 2023, at a cost of Rs 8,428 crore, including the central government's Jal Jeevan Mission share of Rs 2,283 crore," he said.
