Japan’s defence minister visits Indian warship ahead of key Delhi talks
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Japan’s defence minister visits Indian warship ahead of key Delhi talks")
Japan defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi on board Indian Warship INS Chennai
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the Western Naval Command in Mumbai to kick off his maiden India tour. Discover details on his INS Chennai visit and upcoming bilateral defence talks with Rajnath Singh.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has begun his maiden visit to India with a high-profile tour of the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, signalling the growing closeness between the two countries’ armed forces ahead of formal talks in New Delhi. On Wednesday (Aug 19), Mr Koizumi inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command before laying a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh memorial in the Naval Dockyard. He held discussions with India’s Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, and the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan. The Japanese delegation was briefed on the Indian Navy’s roles, responsibilities and operational capabilities, and Mr Koizumi boarded the indigenous guided-missile destroyer INS Chennai.
The visit forms the opening act of a two-day programme that culminates on Thursday with bilateral talks between Mr Koizumi and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. An Indian statement said the meeting is expected to “further strengthen bilateral defence relations, enhance strategic trust and cooperation, promote stability & security in the Indo-Pacific region and identify new areas of collaboration.”
Officials on both sides will focus on deeper maritime security cooperation and closer collaboration on defence equipment and technology under India’s ‘Make-in-India’ framework. The talks come after Japan revised its long-standing Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology. The change, which ends Cold War-era restrictions, now allows Tokyo to supply military hardware and advanced systems to trusted partners such as India.
One concrete project is already moving forward. The two countries have reached agreement in principle on the technical details of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna, known as UNICORN - a stealth technology system designed for warships. Officials expressed hope for an early conclusion of the project and said they would explore other joint defence equipment and technology initiatives.
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The visit follows closely on the heels of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s trip to Delhi for the annual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which both leaders agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation.
