India seeks to extend influence in Middle East, Africa: Jaishankar

TOKYO -- India is pushing the boundaries of its cooperation and interests further north and west with links to Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Friday in a speech that played up the Asian power's growing global role.

"The transformation of India is critical to strengthening multipolarity in Asia itself, a prerequisite for a multipolar world," Jaishankar told Nikkei's Future of Asia forum in a video message.