India & Japan agree to enhance military drills and defence ties

Tokyo: India and Japan on Thursday agreed to step up bilateral defence cooperation and engage in more military exercises, including holding the first joint fighter jet drills, as they emphasised that their special strategic ties played a crucial role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, amidst China's aggressive behaviour in the region.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada here on the first day of his official visit to Japan and the two leaders reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional affairs.

During the 90-minute-long meeting, the two ministers also agreed to hold military drills aimed at boosting co-ordination between the air forces of the two nations.

"Reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional affairs during the bilateral meeting with Japan's Minister of Defence, Mr Yasukazu Hamada in Tokyo today. This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries," Singh tweeted.

Noting that India and Japan pursue a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, Singh said India's defence partnership with Japan will play a crucial role in ensuring free, open and rules-based Indo Pacific region.

India's defence ministry later issued a statement in which it said that the two ministers acknowledged the importance of India-Japan defence partnership and the critical role it will play in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region."

The two ministers also agreed that the early conduct of the inaugural fighter exercise will pave the way for much greater cooperation and interoperability between the Air Forces of the two countries.

"We are happy to note that our Air Forces are working closely for early conduct of the inaugural Air Force fighter exercise," defence minister Singh said after second India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held here along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and their Japanese counterparts.

In a separate statement, the Japanese defence ministry said the two leaders affirmed that they would continue to vigorously promote defence cooperation and exchanges, for further enhancing Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership, to uphold and reinforce the free and open Indo-Pacific while maintaining close communication between respective defence authorities.

Besides, the ministers welcomed the progress being made in coordination for the first Japan-India joint fighter aircraft exercise with a view to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, it said.

India, US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.