Bharat: India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, will meet his Japanese counterpart, Mr Gen Nakatani, today in New Delhi for high-level bilateral talks focused on regional security and defence cooperation. This meeting marks a significant step forward in deepening the defence partnership between the two nations, which has grown steadily over the past decade.
The two ministers are expected to exchange perspectives on pressing regional and international security developments, with particular attention to the Indo Pacific a region where both countries share common strategic interests. Discussions will also cover initiatives to expand military collaboration, joint training exercises, technology sharing, and defence production partnerships.
India and Japan have enjoyed a close, evolving partnership, which was elevated in 2014 to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Since then, defence and security cooperation have emerged as key pillars of the relationship, underpinned by mutual trust and shared democratic values.
Strategic convergence between New Delhi and Tokyo has become more visible in recent years, especially in response to the changing security landscape in the Indo-Pacific. Both countries have emphasized the importance of a free, open, and rules-based maritime order an outlook that forms the basis of their growing collaboration.
This is the second meeting between Rajnath Singh and Gen Nakatani in less than six months, following their initial interaction at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Lao PDR in November 2024. Their continued dialogue signals a strong political will on both sides to enhance operational coordination and deepen institutional ties.
With regional security dynamics becoming increasingly complex, the India-Japan defence partnership is poised to play a key role in promoting peace, stability, and balance in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. This meeting is expected to further consolidate that vision with concrete steps toward greater defence cooperation.(PR)