India and Japan Agree to Deepen Maritime Security Cooperation
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi expressed their dedication to enhancing Maritime Security Cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Japan and the Ministry of Defense of India.
The Memorandum establishes a structure to enhance collaboration between the two nations regarding maritime security.
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It particularly involves bolstering collaboration between the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Indian Navy, which encompasses information exchange regarding Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), along with improved cooperation in sectors like Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
The two ministers expressed their approval of the ongoing enhancement of defense collaboration, which includes partnership among the relevant ministries and armed forces of both nations that hold strategic viewpoints, under the "Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership," forming a key foundation for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
The two ministers confirmed their commitment to enhancing coordination for safeguarding maritime communication routes through reciprocal visits by naval vessels and units, collaborative drills, exchanges of personnel and subject matter experts (SMEs), as well as logistical assistance, which encompasses the utilization of ports and maintenance and repair services. The two defense ministers also swapped gifts after the bilateral meeting.
In the discussions, Koizumi remembered his trip to India in 2018 and expressed a profound respect for India's custom of conducting a memorial service for the atomic bombing victims.
He says, "India holds a special place in my heart. On August 6, 2018, I visited India ... and attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing at the Lok Sabha."
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Koizumi mentioned that during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent trip to India, the two nations had reached an agreement to bolster their relationship as reliable partners aligned in a strategic vision. "Last month, Prime Minister Takaichi traveled to India and reached an agreement with Prime Minister Modi to enhance Japan-India relations as reliable partners sharing a strategic vision." Defense collaboration is crucial to this alliance.
"To be honest, Japan-India defense ties have not yet achieved the level they ought to," he states.
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Koizumi emphasized the shifting security landscape in the Indo-Pacific and urged for a swift enhancement of defense relations between the two nations.
This significant bilateral meeting occurs weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to India for the 16th Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the summit, both parties consented to enhance defence and security collaboration, finalizing agreements exceeding $10 billion to increase investments in AI, defence, and clean energy, while also aiming for 10 trillion yen in Japanese investments within the next ten years.