India and Japan work on deepening defence equipment and technology cooperation

India and Japan on Thursday discussed the way forward to deepen defence equipment and technology cooperation while expressing satisfaction at the strengthening defence and security cooperation, including regular exercises and staff talks between all three services of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held in-depth discussions during the 15th India-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi to review the progress made in the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The ministers covered a wide range of issues of bilateral, regional, and global significance while highlighting the importance of further strengthening India-Japan partnership based on shared values and principles.

They emphasised the importance of achieving the target of JPY 5 trillion Japanese investment in India in the period 2022-27 and also explored potential areas of collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors; resilient supply chains; and digital public infrastructure, among others.

Both Jaishankar and Hayashi also exchanged views on regional and global issues of interest, emphasising the crucial role of strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and rules-based.

The two discussed cooperation under multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, including Quad, agreeing on the need for early reforms of the UNSC besides exchanging views on their respective G20 and G7 presidencies.

Noting the celebration of 2023 as the Year of India-Japan Tourism Exchanges with the theme of ‘Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji’, the Ministers acknowledged the importance of people-to-people exchanges. They also discussed ways to promote movement of skilled human resources from India to Japan.

“The India-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to strengthen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The meeting further deepened bilateral cooperation and set the stage for enhanced collaboration on regional and global issues,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.