India, Japan strengthen defence ties to counter cross-border threats

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese colleague Gen Nakatani chaired extensive defense negotiations between India and Japan in New Delhi on May 5.

Responding to China's increasing military footprint in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening bilateral defense cooperation, and combating terrorism were the main topics of discussion. Gen Nakatani offered India his complete assistance in the war against terrorism and denounced the Pahalgam terror incident.

"I would like to thank the government of Japan for their strong expression of solidarity with India in wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack," Rajnath Singh said

It has been learned that the two parties also discuss how to strengthen defense industry collaboration between Japan and India.

Additionally, the two ministers shared "views and ideas" regarding the state of regional and global security.The two defense ministers met for the second time in six months, following their first encounter in November at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Lao PDR.

Singh and Gen Nakatani discussed a reciprocal supply and services arrangement at the meeting in order to improve military interoperability. In addition to facilitating the expansion of overall defense cooperation, the reciprocal supply and services treaty, if signed, would allow the two nations' forces to use each other's bases for supply replenishment and maintenance.