INDIA JAPAN BILATERAL RELATIONS – FOR EOI WEBSITE
1. Defence Cooperation India – Japan. Defence cooperation between India and Japan has been on a path of ascendancy with conduct of regular high level visits and dialogues. Defence Policy dialogue and 2+2 dialogue were held in Jun 18 and the Annual Defence Ministerial Meeting was held on 02 Sep 19. The maiden 2+2 Ministerial Level Dialogue was held on 30 Nov 19 in India was a milestone for both the countries as they move forward in strengthening the bilateral relationship. The Second Meeting was held in Tokyo in Sep 2022. The Tokyo Declaration for India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership of Sep 14 and the Memorandum of Defence Cooperation and Exchanges, has provided significant impetus to our defence cooperation initiatives. During the Annual Summit in 2015, two key agreements on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation and Security of Classified Military Information were concluded. The signing of agreement concerning Reciprocal Provisions of Supplies and Services between the Indian Armed Forces and the Self Defense Forces of Japan on 09 Sep 2020 gave a new momentum to the defence cooperation relationship. The agreement was operationalized during MILAN 2022 in Mar 2022 and since has been utilised in all the exercises and visits by ships, aircraft and contingents.
2. Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation. The Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation (JWG-DETC) has held seven meetings, with the last one on 26 Jun 23. The first B to B interaction between Defence companies of India and Japan was held in Tokyo in Sep 17 and the visits of Japanese companies to Indian defence industry complexes were organised in Aug 18. The second B to B forum of Indian and Japanese defence industries was held on the side-lines of Aero India 2019 at Bengaluru on 23 Feb. Since the publishing of three important strategic documents in Dec 2022 & amendment of the “Three Principles for Transfer of Equipment and Technology” in Dec 2023 many more collaborations are actively being pursued between India and Japan. The EoI, Tokyo has also been facilitating interaction between companies & MSMEs involved in Defence Production between the two countries.
3. Services Exchanges. All three services have regular Staff Talks with JSDF. In 2023, the first ever Joint Services Staff Talks was held at Tokyo. In addition, to the Service to Service talks, other engagements and exercises (both bilateral and multilateral) have been on the rise. A large number of Subject Matter Expert Exchanges have been taking place regularly between all three Services in consonance with discussions at the respective Staff Talks. The Indian Navy and JMSDF interact bilaterally during JIMEX every year in addition to meeting in Multilateral settings of exercises MALABAR and MILAN. The Indian Airforce and JASDF interact during exercise Veer Gaurdian and exercise Shinyuu Maitri in addition to several multilateral exercises held time to time. The Indian Army and JGSDF undertake infantry exercise Dharma Gaurdian on a yearly basis. In addition to the three Services, the Indian Coast Guard and JCG have yearly exercises which involves pollution control and other Law enforcement drills during reciprocal ship visits.
