New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh kick-started the India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial meeting in New Delhi, attended by their Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara respectively, by highlighting the deepening strategic relationship between the two countries. Rajnath Singh asserted that Japan will play an important prole in India's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
"In the last decade, our relationship has assumed the form of a special, strategic and global partnership. The logic of this evolution is our expanding interest and growing activities as we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world. There is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences. As a result, we have consciously thought to facilitate each others' endeavours, comprehend each others' objectives, strengthen each others' positions and work with other nations of shared comfort," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.
"Our strategic partnership will continue to grow as we embrace neutrality and display sensitivity. Our cooperation is set today against a larger context of free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. For India, it is natural extrapolation from our 'Act East' policy. The proportion of our activities in east of India has been strategic," he continued.
Defence Minister Singh also emphasised that bilateral relations between India and Japan have increased in all areas. "Defence has emerged as an important pillar in these relations. We have decided to make India a developed and transformed nation by 2047, on the completion of 100 years of India's independence. Building domestic defence capabilities is a very important part of this vision. In the field of defence technology and industry, partnership with Japan will play an important role in the completion of this vision of India," he said during the meeting.
China mentioned in 2+2 talks
Following the meeting, Rajnath Singh said the India-Japan relationship was essential for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region and underscored the role of joint exercises in boosting the defence engagement between the two countries. "I believe that cooperation with Japan in defence technology and industry will help us in making India a global manufacturing hub. India and Japan have a shared vision on Indo-Pacific," he told reporters in a briefing.
Later, Japan's defence minister Kihara said it was "extremely gratifying" to hold the third round of the 2+2 talks with India. "I had a meaningful discussion with both the ministers during the Defence Ministers' meeting and then the 2+2...On the bilateral and multilateral joint exercises, we welcomed that Japan-India exercises between all the services are continuing...We also discussed our defence equipment and technology cooperation regarding the United Combined Radio Antenna (UNICORN) to be equipped," he told reporters after the meeting.
On the same topic, Kamikawa said the two sides had reaffirmed our strong determination to cooperate towards regional peace and prosperity. India and Japan had committed to deepen cooperation towards realising a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and objections to unilateral attempts to change status quo by force and uphold free and open international border, in a reference towards China's claims in the South China Sea.
Japanese ministers call on PM Modi ahead of 2+2 talks
A day ahead of the talks, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the latter underscored the importance of holding the 2+2 meeting in the context of increasingly complex regional and global order, and deepening ties between India and Japan, according to an official statement.
PM Modi shared his thoughts and ideas on closer cooperation between trusted friends like India and Japan, especially in areas like critical minerals, semiconductors and defence manufacturing. They took stock of progress made in various areas of bilateral cooperation including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project and also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The PM had also highlighted the crucial role India-Japan partnership plays in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
What does India-Japan 2+2 talks hope to accomplish?
According to the Defence Ministry, the ministers will review the bilateral cooperation and explore new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements between the two countries. It said the ministers will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The talks are expected to "deepen defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries".
India and Japan share 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law, as per the ministry. The '2+2' dialogue with Japan was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries. India has the '2+2' ministerial format of dialogue with other countries including the US, Australia and Russia.
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