New Delhi, August 20: India and Japan have emphasized the need to enhance their defense and security cooperation to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. A significant bilateral meeting took place on Thursday between India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi.
During the meeting, both defense ministers discussed broadening defense cooperation, deepening maritime security partnerships, and advancing collaboration in defense equipment and technology. This dialogue comes at a time when both nations view a rules-based order, maritime route security, and the facilitation of legitimate trade as essential in the Indo-Pacific region. Japan’s security policy also prioritizes the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
At the start of the meeting, Rajnath Singh welcomed the Japanese Defense Minister, affirming India’s commitment to providing any necessary assistance, relief, or cooperation during these challenging times. He noted that India-Japan relations are grounded in shared democratic values, mutual respect, and a long-standing civilizational bond. Both countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year.
Singh highlighted that the friendship between India and Japan has become a crucial foundation for stability, resilience, and a rules-based order in the broader Indo-Pacific region. As two major democracies in Asia, India and Japan have a responsibility to play a significant role in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the area.
He pointed out that the maritime lifelines of India and Japan are facing increasing challenges. Therefore, maintaining freedom of navigation, unobstructed airspace movement, and legitimate trade is not only an economic necessity but also a strategic imperative. He emphasized that the security of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is deeply interconnected.
The Defense Minister stressed the importance of better coordination between India’s ‘Ocean’ vision and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ initiative. The term ‘Ocean’ signifies mutual and comprehensive progress for security and development in the regions.
Rajnath Singh mentioned that aligning the perspectives of both countries could help strengthen stability and security across the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting also focused on advancing cooperation in defense equipment and technology, particularly exploring opportunities under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for defense production, technical collaboration, and industrial partnerships.
Notably, in recent years, India and Japan have expanded their defense cooperation beyond military exercises and high-level dialogues to include areas such as defense industry, technology, maritime security, and capacity building. In the third Foreign and Defense Minister-level 2+2 dialogue held in 2024, both nations agreed to further strengthen their bilateral security and defense cooperation, focusing on a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Before the bilateral talks, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi on August 20, laying a wreath in honor of India’s brave soldiers and their supreme sacrifices.
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