New Delhi (TIP)- India and Japan on Thursday, September 8,  unveiled plans for their first air force exercise as New Delhi backed Tokyo’s efforts to reinforce its defence capabilities over the next five years, reflecting the growing security cooperation between the two sides. Against the backdrop of China’s aggressive actions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and in the East China Sea, India and Japan emphasised the need for all countries to peacefully resolve disputes without using force or any unilateral change of the status quo during their second 2+2 meeting of defence and foreign ministers in Tokyo. Defence and security cooperation between the two sides has grown rapidly in recent years, and they also operationalised an agreement between their armed forces on reciprocal provision of supplies and services in March this year. The Indian side also sought investments from Japanese companies for manufacturing military hardware. Defence minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada ahead of the 2+2 meeting, for which they were joined by external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi. The air services of the two countries are “working closely for the early conduct of (the) inaugural India-Japan fighter exercise”, said a joint statement issued after the 2+2 meeting.

The Japanese side “expressed its determination to fundamentally reinforce Japan’s defence capabilities within the next five years”, including a substantial increase of the defence budget, as part of the country’s “resolve to examine all options necessary for national defence, including so called ‘counterstrike capabilities’, the statement added.

“Acknowledging Japan’s determination to reinforce its defence capabilities, Indian side expressed its support to work towards enhanced security and defence cooperation,” it said. The two sides emphasised the need for global cooperation to address security challenges that have become “more acute” and “reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based global order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and emphasised the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo”, the joint statement said.

                Source: HT