INDIA JAPAN BILATERAL RELATIONS

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 six meetings, with the last one by VTC on 09 Feb 22. 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. With the inaugural Air Force Staff Talks held in Feb 2016, we have institutionalised Staff Talks between all three Services as well as an annual dialogue {High Level meeting (HLM)} between our Coast Guards. The Joint Services Staff Talks have been approved and the inaugural edition of the talks between the Joint Staff Office JSDF and HQIDS is likely to be held later this year.

3. High Level Visits. As regards High-Level visits, General Izutsu Shunji, COS JASDF visited India in Dec 2020 and Adm Hiroshi Yamamura, Chief of Staff, JMSDF along with six member delegation visited India on an official visit from 25-27 Feb 2022. Gen Koji Yamazaki, COS, Joint Staff visited India to participate in the second and third edition of Raisina Dialogue in April 2022 and again in March 2023. Lt Gen Ogasawara Takuto visited India and attended the Bangalore Air Show from 12-14 Feb 23. As for the in Visits Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff visited Japan from 16-20 May 22. Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff visited Japan from 05 - 09 Nov 2022 for 18th WPNS. Air Marshal PM Sinha, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, AOCINC WAC visited Japan 22-24 Jan 23 to participate in exercise Veer Guardian 23. Director General Virendra Singh Pathania, PTM, TM, DG ICG visited Japan from 11-15 Sep 22 to attend 20^th ICG-JCG High Level Meeting held at JCG Headquarters, Tokyo on 12 Sep 22.

4. Services Exchanges. 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 discussion at the respective staff talks. The Indian Navy Participated with two ships and a P8I in exercise Malabar held off Yokosuka in Nov 22. Bilateral Fighter Exercise Veer Gurdian was held in Hyakuri Airbase Japan in January 2021. The Indian Airforce participated with its Su30 MKI aircraft in the inaugural edition of the exercise. The Army to Army exercise; Exercise Dharma Guardian was held at Japan for the first time ever since its inception in 2018. The exercise was conducted in Shiga prefecture of Japan near Kyoto in February 2023. Exercise Shinnyu Maitri was also conducted between the transport wings of IAF and JASDF in March 2023. Indian Navy and JMSDF regularly undertake bilateral exercises such as JIMEX, Bilateral Maritime Exercises and Passage Exercises. In addition, they also participate in various multilateral exercises demonstrating a very high level of interoperability. JMSDF ship JS Yuudachi and high level delegation also participated for the first time in MILAN 2022 held off Visakhapatnam in February /March 2022. JS Uraga and JS Awaji made a port call at Kochi on 14 - 16 Feb 23. JS Makanami called at Mumbai from 18-20 Feb 23 and JS Suzutsuki called on Kochi from 07-09 Mar 23.