On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, for comprehensive discussions that addressed the threat of terrorism and explored avenues to deepen bilateral defence cooperation in light of China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gen Nakatani’s visit coincided with heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He unequivocally condemned the attack and conveyed Japan’s solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism.
In his opening remarks during the delegation-level talks, which followed a one-on-one meeting, Singh expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for its firm support. “I would like to thank the government of Japan for their strong expression of solidarity with India in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” he said.
Singh further stated in a social media post, “India shares a Special, Strategic, and Global Partnership with Japan. During our bilateral meeting, we discussed defence cooperation and regional security.”
Both nations jointly condemned terrorism in all its manifestations and underscored the importance of greater collaboration and coordinated efforts to counter cross-border threats.
Singh also noted that Gen Nakatani had reaffirmed Japan’s full support for India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident. Sources indicate that the two sides also discussed enhancing defence industrial cooperation.
In addition, the ministers exchanged views on current regional and global security dynamics. This meeting marked their second engagement within six months, following their initial interaction in November on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Lao PDR.
At their previous meeting, Singh and Gen Nakatani discussed a potential agreement for the reciprocal provision of logistics support, which would enable both militaries to access each other’s bases for maintenance and resupply operations—significantly advancing operational interoperability and overall defence collaboration.
It is also understood that the two sides reviewed the evolving situation in the strategically vital East and South China Seas, where China’s military posturing has been a cause for growing concern.
