Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to stronger defence cooperation and regional security.
Source: ANI via LatestLY
Singh welcomed Koizumi and greeted him in Japanese, recalling their previous meeting in August, and expressed pleasure at the progress in bilateral relations, ANI reported. "As two leading democracies in Asia, India and Japan share a profound responsibility to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Singh said.
Source: ANI via LatestLY
In a post on X after the meeting, Singh said the two sides had held "productive discussions on reviewing our ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and exploring new avenues to further strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership", adding that their shared commitment "remains vital for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region".
Source: IANS via AsiaPost
The ministers welcomed progress in maritime security, air force exchanges and defence industry engagement since their August meeting. Maritime discussions covered strengthening mine countermeasure capabilities and exploring joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japan's technological expertise with India's production capabilities, India Strategic reported.
Source: India Strategic
They also reviewed air-service ties after Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft visited India for the first time for Exercise Veer Guardian 26, and welcomed the India-Japan Defence Industry Forum held at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, which brought together around 40 companies from the two countries.
Source: India Strategic
Both sides agreed to accelerate discussions on convening the fourth India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial (2+2) meeting and a Defence Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo later this year.
Source: India Strategic
The Japan meeting was one of a series of bilaterals Singh is holding in Cebu, where the ADMM-Plus runs on October 28-29. Earlier on Wednesday he met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Australian counterpart Richard Marles, and meetings with the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea are also scheduled; Singh will address the ADMM-Plus forum on Thursday.
Source: ANI via LatestLY