During the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit held in Tokyo on August 30, 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba issued a strong and unequivocal condemnation of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians on April 22, 2025.

Both leaders emphasised the urgent need for concerted international action against all UN-listed terrorist organisations and their proxies, with specific reference to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, and their financing networks.

Highlighting the implications of the United Nations Security Council Monitoring Team Report of July 29, which mentioned the role of The Resistance Front (TRF), Modi explained that TRF had already claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.

Ishiba expressed grave concern over this revelation, and the two leaders stressed that perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of such reprehensible acts must be brought to justice without delay.

They further underscored the importance of dismantling terrorist safe havens, halting cross-border movements of militants, and eliminating funding channels tied to both terrorism and transnational crime.

The summit also touched upon several other pressing regional and global issues. On Myanmar, Prime Ministers Modi and Ishiba expressed deep concern over the protracted political and humanitarian crisis, urging an end to violence and calling for a swift return to democracy.

They welcomed recent announcements regarding the end of Myanmar’s state of emergency and plans to hold elections while stressing the need for inclusive dialogue, the release of detained political leaders, and full implementation of ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus to restore peace and stability. The two leaders reaffirmed their support and active promotion of ASEAN-led initiatives to foster reconciliation and inclusiveness in the country.

Beyond regional crisis management, the leaders spotlighted the strategic significance of Indo-Japan cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, extending their focus towards Africa.

They launched the Japan-India Cooperation Initiative for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa, designed to promote industrial concentration within India and establish a trade and investment hub linking India, Japan, and African markets. This initiative underscores both countries’ vision for shared prosperity and resilience-building within the framework of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

On global security concerns, Prime Ministers Modi and Ishiba reaffirmed their joint position in support of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, aligning their stand on the principles of international law and the UN Charter. They welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts being pursued by different countries to work toward a sustainable resolution to the conflict.

Furthermore, in response to escalating provocations in Northeast Asia, the two leaders strongly condemned North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches and its continued nuclear weapons development in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

They emphasised their commitment to the complete de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urged Pyongyang to fully comply with international obligations, return to diplomatic dialogue, and cease destabilising activities.

The wider diplomatic scope of the summit extended to opportunities for strengthening multilateral platforms. Prime Minister Modi invited Prime Minister Ishiba to visit India later this year on the occasion of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, highlighting the growing convergence of the two nations within the Quad framework alongside the United States and Australia.

Modi’s visit to Japan, part of his two-day official tour from August 29 to 30, signified the depth of the India-Japan strategic partnership.

Following the Tokyo engagements, the Prime Minister will travel to Tianjin, China, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit—a move that underscores India’s active engagement across major global and regional platforms.

In essence, the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit served not only as a bilateral reaffirmation of strong strategic trust but also as a joint exercise in shaping the broader security, economic, and diplomatic architecture of Asia and beyond.

The discussions highlighted the twin priorities of countering terrorism in all its forms and maintaining a rules-based international order while promoting sustainable development, peace, and inclusive growth across geographies stretching from South Asia to Africa, the Indo-Pacific, and Europe.

Based On ANI Report