Tokyo [Japan], August 29 (ANI): India and Japan have taken their partnership to a brand new stage by signing a landmark Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to Tokyo for the fifteenth Annual India-Japan Summit on Friday.
The declaration goals to strengthen defence ties and guarantee peace and stability within the Indo-Pacific area, which each international locations see as very important for his or her safety and financial progress. It supplies a brand new framework for the 2 nations to work collectively on modern-day challenges starting from maritime security to cyber threats.
Under this settlement, India and Japan will develop army cooperation by extra frequent joint workouts involving all three of their forces, the military, navy and air drive. The two sides additionally agreed to share defence expertise and discover prospects of collectively producing tools. Naval cooperation will likely be scaled up with extra ship visits, coordination to maintain sea routes secure, and stronger motion in opposition to piracy and different crimes at sea.
The pact additionally goes past conventional defence issues. It consists of nearer collaboration in areas corresponding to counter-terrorism, catastrophe aid, cybersecurity, defence analysis and even cooperation on crucial minerals wanted for contemporary industries. Both international locations have additionally dedicated to sharing data on new and rising safety dangers.
The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) assertion mentioned that the Joint declaration goals at exploring alternatives to cooperate in area of interest areas of one another’s priorities, corresponding to counterterrorism, peacekeeping operations and cyber defence in addition to sharing data, together with assessments with respect to rising safety dangers.
The MEA described the settlement as a mirrored image of a ‘new stage’ within the India-Japan partnership and mentioned it aligns with their shared imaginative and prescient of a free, open, and peaceable Indo-Pacific.
The settlement additionally talks about common dialogue between the National Security Advisors of the 2 international locations, guaranteeing deeper, long-term cooperation.
The Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation is among the many Key outcomes of the go to of Prime Minister Modi’s Japan go to.
Explaining the importance of the Declaration, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mentioned it supplies an enabling framework for each international locations to reply extra successfully to modern safety challenges.
‘An necessary characteristic of this doc is the broad idea of safety it embodies, which incorporates cooperation on cybersecurity, counterterrorism, defence trade, analysis and growth, and nearer cooperation on safety points in multilateral groupings. One of the brand new options of the safety engagement between the 2 international locations can be an institutionalised dialogue between the nationwide safety advisors of the 2 international locations, ‘ he mentioned addressing a media briefing in Tokyo immediately.
This is PM Modi’s first go to to Japan since May 2023.
Earlier immediately, he was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Tokyo. India and Japan had elevated their relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership a decade in the past, and the brand new declaration additional consolidates that bond.
Following his engagements in Tokyo, the Prime Minister will depart for Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit scheduled later this week. (ANI)