New Delhi [India], August 20 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi on Thursday affirmed their commitment to strengthening Maritime Security Cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Japan and the Ministry of Defence of India.
The Memorandum provides a framework for further advancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of maritime security. Specifically, it includes the strengthening of cooperation between the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Indian Navy, including information sharing in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), as well as enhanced cooperation in areas such as Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
The two ministers welcomed the steady strengthening of defence cooperation, including cooperation among the respective ministries and the Services of the two countries that share strategic perspectives, under the "Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership", which constitutes one of the pillars for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
The two ministers affirmed that they would strengthen coordination between both sides for the protection of sea lines of communication through mutual visits by naval ships and units, joint exercises, personnel and subject matter expert (SME) exchanges and logistical support including use of ports, maintenance and repair facilities.
The two defence ministers also exchanged gifts following the bilateral meeting.
During the talks, Koizumi recalled his visit to India in 2018 and said he had developed deep respect for India's tradition of holding a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing.
He said, "India holds a special place in my heart. On August 6, 2018, I visited India ... and attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing at the Lok Sabha."
The Lok Sabha routinely acknowledges August 6 as Hiroshima Day to honour the victims of the 1945 atomic bombings and express a shared commitment to global peace
"India is probably the only parliament outside Japan that holds such a ceremony every year. I have continued to feel deep respect and gratitude for this tradition. As a Minister of Defence myself, I am proud and pleased to be able to contribute together with India to peace in the region and the world," he said.
Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent visit to India, Koizumi said the two countries had agreed to strengthen their relations as trusted partners sharing a strategic direction.
"Last month, Prime Minister Takaichi visited India and agreed with Prime Minister Modi to strengthen Japan-India relations as trusted partners that share a strategic direction. Defence cooperation plays an indispensable part in this partnership. However, to be frank, Japan-India defence relations have not yet reached the level they should," he said.
Koizumi also highlighted the changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific and called for a rapid elevation of defence ties between the two countries.
"The security environment in the Indo-Pacific is rapidly becoming more complex and uncertain. Under the leadership of our two leaders, I would like to work with you, Minister Singh, to quickly elevate Japan-India defence relations to the level they should reach," he said.
"Today, I look forward to having a concrete discussion on what is required to achieve this objective and what kind of steps we should take together. Thank you very much," he added.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi undertook a three-day official visit to New Delhi from July 1 to July 3, 2026, marking her first bilateral trip to India since taking office.
This high-level bilateral meeting comes weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited India for the 16th Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During that summit, both sides agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation, signing over USD 10 billion in agreements aimed at boosting investments in AI, defence and clean energy, alongside targeting 10 trillion yen in Japanese investments over the next decade. (ANI)
India, Japan agree to deepen Maritime Security Cooperation following bilateral meeting
