India, Japan roar back at 'unilateral' Dragon

New Delhi: Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi inked a pact on Thursday to strengthen maritime security ties and joint military cooperation. The agreement aims to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific amidst China's growing military assertiveness in the region. The ministers opposed unilateral actions that threaten freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as attempts to alter the status-quo through force or coercion.

They agreed to explore joint naval shipbuilding, design, and intelligence, equipment, technology, and industrial domain cooperation, leveraging Japan's tech expertise and India's production capabilities. The two sides also pledged to strengthen cooperation via the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network to aid partner nations during natural disasters.

The ministers emphasized deepening defence ties to ensure peace and stability in the region and globally, and expressed readiness to work with third countries through high-level exchanges, exercises, and other initiatives. They committed to sharing assessments of the security environment between India and Japan to tackle heightened global tensions.