Indo-Japan defence relations - Defence Minister’s visit to Japan

Indo-Japan defence relations – Defence Minister’s visit to Japan

Question - China recently announced that the Silk Road Programme will be merged with Mausam. Discuss the recent boost to Indo-Japan defence relations as well.

Defence Minister of India Manohar Parrikar recently visited Japan and held a defence ministerial meeting in Tokyo.

• Defence ties were bolstered through a review of the security environment and respective defence policies of each individual nation

• Strategic developments pertaining to Indo-Japan international security situation with stress on inter-connected Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region were also reviewed

• Emphasis was made for an inter-connected Indo-Pacific Region and the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership was stressed on in this context

• Significant progress was made in bilateral defence exchanges; the Memorandum of Cooperation and Exchange in the Field of Defence signed in September 2014 was discussed in this regard

• On going maritime cooperation was also revived in light of bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercises and participation of Japan Maritime Self Defence Force in India-US Joint Naval Exercises Malabar 14 in the month of July 2014 held off the Japanese coast

• The progress was also made in the Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation/JWGDETC

• India and Japan have immense potential in the area of technology cooperation and defence equipment

• Views were exchanged on potential projects for further cooperation in this area

• Mutually beneficial future cooperation projects were also discussed

• The decision was also made to continue high level exchanges which included the Ministerial meeting on a yearly basis

• Defence Policy Dialogue will be held in Delhi towards April 2015

• The two sides also continued to promote exchanges on UN Peacekeeping Operations between Centre for UN Peacekeeping/CUNPK of the Indian Army and Japan Peacekeeping Training and Research Centre of Joint Staff College, Central Readiness Force of JGSDF/Japan Ground Self Defence Force also continued

• Bilateral exercises between the Maritime Force of Japan and Indian Navy are to continue on a regular basis
• Expert exchanges in Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief and Counter Terrorism between Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self Defence Force/JGSDF will also persist

• Professional exchanges of test pilots of the two sides and exchanges between their air transport squadrons were also discussed between the two sides

Facts and Stats

• India and Japan are working towards strengthening bilateral ties in the context of Japan’s conflict with China over the private islands in South China sea

• Territorial dispute exists between China and Japan regarding the Senkaku Islands which are referred to as the Diaoyu islands by the former

• Japan is the first country visited by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar following his having assume charge of the post

• Since 2003, Indo-Japan relations have grown considerably and there are more than 1,804 Japanese companies operating in India currently

• DIPP factsheet for 2011-2012 shows FDI inflow from Japan to India was USD 1,846 million

• Japan is the fifth largest investor in India

• Two plus two bilateral framework for defence has been established between India and Japan

• During PM Modi’s visit, the 2 countries signed their first ever defence cooperation pact