India, Japan hold talks to deepen military ties
The focus was on sharpening inter-operability between armed forces during talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart General Nakatani
India and Japan on Friday discussed issues related to the reciprocal provision of supply and services and the participation of their militaries in bilateral and multilateral exercises, with a focus on sharpening inter-operability between their armed forces, during talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart General Nakatani.
The two leaders met at Vientiane in Laos on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus. “The two sides reiterated the importance of defence industry and technology cooperation between the two countries and agreed to enhance cooperation in co-production and co-development in the defence manufacturing sector,” the defence ministry said in a statement. The leaders agreed to explore new areas of cooperation in the air domain, it added.
In September 2020, India and Japan signed an agreement for reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the country’s armed forces and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. The pact establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations peacekeeping operations, humanitarian relief, and other mutually agreed activities.
Singh also met the defence minister of the Philippines, Gilberto Teodoro, on the final day of his three-day visit to Vientiane for ADMM-plus. Both sides agreed to expand and deepen cooperation in exchange for subject matter experts, defence industry, counter-terrorism, space, and maritime domain, the statement said.
The bloc consists of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, and its eight dialogue partners including India, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States (or the plus countries).
The meetings with the defence ministers of Japan and the Philippines came a day after Singh met his US counterpart Lloyd J Austin. The two leaders hailed the impressive strides in the India-US defence partnership, pivoting on increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and industrial collaboration and innovation.
On Thursday, Singh said India stands for a rules-based international order for peace, prosperity, and stability in the vast Indo-Pacific region. He added that dialogue was the way forward for resolving complex issues.
Earlier this week, Singh held talks with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun, and emphasised the need for the two countries to work towards de-escalation of the conflict in the sensitive Ladakh theatre on the back of the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from Depsang and Demchok. He added that it would help build greater trust and confidence between the two sides.
Singh told the Chinese minister that border issues could not be decoupled from the overall bilateral relationship.
This was the first meeting of the two defence ministers following the disengagement in eastern Ladakh, and the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Russia.
The disengagement was completed along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC), and patrols by both armies resumed, around 10 days after India and China on October 21 announced a breakthrough in negotiations to resolve their stand-off in Depsang and Demchok, the last two flashpoints in Ladakh where the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were eyeball-to-eyeball since May 2020.
Disengagement from friction areas is the first step towards cooling border tensions. De-escalation of the lingering conflict and the eventual de-induction of rival soldiers must follow to restore peace and tranquility in the sector. Both armies still have tens of thousands of troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre.