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| India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh with his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada pose for photographers in Tokyo [Franck Robichon/Reuters] |
India has invited defence companies of Japan to invest in the two defence corridors here.
During a bilateral meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada in Tokyo, the two sides emphasized on the need to further deepen partnership in Defence Equipment and Technological Cooperation.
The two ministers reviewed regional security situations as well as the defence cooperation between the two countries.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Defence, India, the two ministers acknowledged the importance of the defence partnership between the two countries and the important role it will play in ensuring open and free and rules based Indo-Pacific region.
Rajnath Singh invited the Japanese industries to invest in the defence corridors which offers a conducive environment for the defence industry.
At the delegation-level talks, the defence minister also highlighted that the complexities in the bilateral defence drills between the two countries is an indication of deepening of defence cooperation.
The ministers also at the meeting welcomed the operationalisation of the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement. This started in March this year at Exercise Milan.
As has been reported in Financial Express Online earlier, the two countries are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations and are pursuing a Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
On Wednesday, after reaching Tokyo, the minister, according to the Ministry of Defence started his day’s engagements by laying a wreath at a Memorial. This memorial is in the memory of those personnel of Japan Self Defense Forces who laid down their lives in the line of duty. Ahead of his bilateral level engagement with his counterpart, he was accorded a guard of honour.
Importance of the meeting
This comes at a time when the China-Taiwan crisis is going on, the troops of India and China continue to be in a standoff for more than two years, and remaining friction points between India and China have yet to be resolved.
Malabar exercise
The two countries which are members of the QUAD along with the United States and Australia participate in the multilateral naval exercise.
