Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that together with "strategic partners" -- Japan and the United States of America -- India "will play a big role in maintaining world peace, prosperity and stability".
Addressing the media ahead of the first-ever trilateral meet between the three countries on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Modi expressed delight over the prospects of working with India's "strategic partners", saying that both US President Donald Trump and his Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are his "good friends".
"I think this is a very good occasion for our three countries, which have shared democratic values. Japan, America, India together will be playing a big role together for world peace, prosperity and stability. I am also happy that both the countries are our strategic partners, both of them are very good friends, and it is a matter of good fortune that we will work together," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister also coined a new term for the partnership with the three nations - "JAI" (Japan - America - India), which in the Hindi language translates to success or victory. Prime Minister Modi said that the acronym itself sends a message of good fortune at the beginning of their joint-efforts to maintain peace, prosperity and stability across the world.
Meanwhile, President Trump said it was a matter of "great honour" to be with the leaders of India and Japan, adding, "The relationships between our three countries are extremely good, extremely strong. With India, maybe stronger than ever, with Japan I think stronger than ever. We are doing a lot if trade together, we are doing a lot of defence together, a lot of military purchases".
The Japanese Prime Minister also expressed his delight to hold the first-ever trilateral meeting between the three nations, saying, "Japan, the US and India share fundamental values and strategic interests and I surely hope to further reinforce our trilateral partnership."
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He further stressed the importance of the three countries stepping up their "close cooperation towards realising a free and open Indo-Pacific. By having the three of us working together will bring more prosperity and more stability in the region as well as globally."
Towards the end of their address, Trump evaded questions on his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, commonly referred to as MBS. Trump's meeting with MBS at the G20 summit was held amid global furore over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Trump faced criticism for defending the Saudi Prince while the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) claimed that MBS ordered the killing.
Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day official visit to Argentina to attend the ongoing G20 summit.
Following the trilateral meeting with Japan and the US, the Prime Minister will meet President Sebastian Piñera of Chile and is scheduled to attend an informal Russia-China-India summit later today.
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