India, Japan signal ramping up of defence relations

[SpArK]

India, Japan signal ramping up of defence relations​

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India, Japan signal ramping up of defence relations New Delhi, Sept 27 (PTI)

Signalling ramping up of defence relations with Japan ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tour, IAF Chief P V Naik will embark on a four-day visit to Tokyo tomorrow, even as a Japanese Army team will be here to plan joint exercises and exchanges for the first time.


"Naik will be on a goodwill visit to Tokyo, basically to build bilateral military ties, while a Japanese Army team will be in Delhi to chalk out programmes aimed at furthering army-to-army contact,"


Defence Ministry officials said here today. The high-level visit come ahead of the Prime Minister's planned trip to Japan beginning October 24. Naik's visit comes three years after then Air Force chief S P Tyagi had gone to Tokyo on a visit. Naik, in his capacity as the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, will be meeting with his Japanese defence forces' Chief of Staff General Kenichiro Hokazono when they would debate regional security issues.

He would also be taking a tour of military installations of Japan and a couple of their training institutes during the visit. Naik will return to India on October 1. Gen Hokazono is expected to visit Delhi next year for the same purpose as Naik's current visit, officials said.

Japanese army team led by its Director (Policy and Programme) Major General Koichiro Bansho and three other officers will be in Delhi till October 1 when they would be meeting with their Indian Army counterparts in a first-of-its kind effort at drawing up a calender of joint events.



India has such an arrangement with eight other countries like the US, the UK, Israel, France, Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Singapore. In the four-day discussion, the two sides are expected to share their mutual security concerns and issues and review the bilateral army-to-army relations.


"They will also work out a plan to institutionalise a bilateral calendar of joint exercises, visits and exchanges between the two armies," the officials said.


Defence Minister A K Antony too had visited Japan in November 2009. During that visit, Antony and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa had reviewed the on-going defence related interactions and explored ways to enhance such exchanges for mutual benefit.


Among the issues discussed then were conducting joint exercises between the two armed forces and exchange of students in their respective defence training institutions, and the possibilities of co-ordination of their respective Navy's efforts in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and other maritime security challenges.


Indo-Japanese security and defence co-operation is guided by a joint statement issued by their Defence Ministers in May 2006 and the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation issued during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan in October 2008.


India, Japan signal ramping up of defence relations, IBN Live News

 

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First Indo-Japan army-to-army talks start​

With an aim of increasing military cooperation, the first army to army staff-level talks between India and Japan began here today.


"During the talks, the two sides will discuss their mutual security issues along with institutionalising the annual calendar of the exchanges between them in the coming year," army officials said here.

The Japanese delegation for the talks is led by their director general for policy and programmes Major General Voichiro Bansho.

The talks signify the increasing cooperation between the two countries during which they will also discuss the present ties and look at the ways of enhancing it, they added.

The army holds such parleys with nine other countries including Australia, Malaysia and England.

Though differences on the CTBT and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) still persist between New Delhi and Tokyo, military ties between the two countries have been increasing in the recent past.

The Japanese navy warships have participated in the Indo-US Malabar series of naval exercises in the Pacific ocean in the recent past.

The two sides also agreed on an action plan during Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's visit last year.

The action plan aims at holding regular meetings between the defence ministers, annual official-level defence policy dialogue, annual military-to-military talks, regular reciprocal visits of the service chiefs and ground-to-ground staff talks, navy-to-navy staff talks, and developing an annual calendar of defence cooperation and exchanges.


First Indo-Japan army-to-army talks start - India - DNA

 

[Illusive]

Could have been done earlier, but still not late. It would be good that India has better relations with East Asia like the west(US,UK). South Korea is also important for India like Japan.

 

[prototype]

A good move by both India and japan,a lot can b achieved,Japan is already present in India's infra development big time,good to see them also involved with our military