NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi on Thursday affirmed their commitment to strengthening Maritime Security Cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Japan and the Ministry of Defence of India.
The Memorandum provides a framework for further advancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of maritime security. Specifically, it includes the strengthening of cooperation between the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Indian Navy, including information sharing in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), as well as enhanced cooperation in areas such as Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
The two ministers welcomed the steady strengthening of defence cooperation, including cooperation among the respective ministries and the Services of the two countries that share strategic perspectives, under the “Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership”, which constitutes one of the pillars for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
The two ministers affirmed that they would strengthen coordination between both sides for the protection of sea lines of communication through mutual visits by naval ships and units, joint exercises, personnel and subject matter expert (SME) exchanges and logistical support including use of ports, maintenance and repair facilities.
The two defence ministers also exchanged gifts following the bilateral meeting.
During the talks, Koizumi recalled his visit to India in 2018 and said he had developed deep respect for India’s tradition of holding a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing.
He said, “India holds a special place in my heart. On August 6, 2018, I visited India … and attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of the atomic bombing at the Lok Sabha.”
The Lok Sabha routinely acknowledges August 6 as Hiroshima Day to honour the victims of the 1945 atomic bombings and express a shared commitment to global peace.
“India is probably the only parliament outside Japan that holds such a ceremony every year. I have continued to feel deep respect and gratitude for this tradition. As a Minister of Defence myself, I am proud and pleased to be able to contribute together with India to peace in the region and the world,” he said.
