4 min readNew DelhiApr 15, 2026 07:40 PM IST
Calling the attacks on merchant shipping “completely unacceptable”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underlined India’s “strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping”. This was a reference to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
He participated in the AZEC Plus — Asia Zero Emission Community — meeting convened by Japan to discuss supply chain disruptions in the energy markets.
Later in the evening, US President Donald Trump said that he was “permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz”.
After the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X: “Underlined India’s strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping. Attacks on merchant shipping are completely unacceptable. Global growth demands that energy markets are not constricted. As a major energy consumer, India will work with like-minded partners to develop supply chain resilience.”
Participated in the ‘AZEC Plus’ meeting convened by Japan to discuss supply chain disruptions in the energy markets.
Underlined India’s strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping. Attacks on merchant shipping are completely unacceptable. Global… pic.twitter.com/wsiQokYU5e
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 15, 2026
Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae hosted an online meeting with leaders and representatives from Asian countries including Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) partners and other Asian countries, as well as key international organizations, to discuss the current concerns about energy and resource supply shortage and measures for energy resilience of the countries.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Takaichi said that the “countries most affected by disruptions in the supply of energy and resources passing through the Strait of Hormuz are those in Asia, and it is necessary for Asian countries to work together in responding to this shared challenge because these impacts extend to all countries closely connected through supply chains”.
She announced the launch of the ‘Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia)’, a new cooperation framework consisting of both emergency responses and structural ones with mid-to-long-term perspectives, the ministry said.
“This framework aims to cooperate in emergency responses through financing procurement of crude oil, petroleum products, and maintaining supply chains in Asia and addressing structural responses such as establishing stockpiling and release systems as well as the construction and utilization of storage tanks to expand the number of days of crude oil reserves within the region: securing critical minerals and diversifying energy resources such as biofuels; and promoting industrial advancement through and energy-saving initiatives. The support involves financial cooperation of approximately 10 billion dollars, which is equivalent to roughly one year’s worth of crude oil imports for ASEAN if converted to crude oil and petroleum product procurement by Asian countries,” it said.
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The meeting was attended by Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, Malaysian PM Anwar bin Ibrahim, Singapore PM Lawrence Wong, Thailand PM Anutin Charnavirakul, Vietnam PM Le Minh Hung, Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman and South Korea’s PM Kim Min-seok, and they welcomed the “Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia)” initiative, confirming that the countries will collaborate to address the current challenges together.
“These initiatives support the stability of Asian countries and contribute to strengthening Japan, including through the procurement of medical supplies from Asia to Japan. Additionally, it embodies the realization of the evolution of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) advocated by the… Takaichi administration,” the Japanese Foreign ministry said.
Representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and the International Energy Agency also attended the meeting.
