India, Japan sign agreement to deepen maritime security ties

India and Japan inked a memorandum of arrangement on Thursday to strengthen maritime security cooperation, emphasizing a closer relationship between the Indian Navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, reported during talks between Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in Delhi. The agreement outlines a framework for information exchange in maritime domain awareness and enhances cooperation in search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

The ministers also discussed reciprocal access to ship-repair facilities, with a formal agreement anticipated soon. Furthermore, they agreed to establish a working group to boost cooperation in areas such as operations, intelligence, equipment, technology, and industrial cooperation, aiming to maximize synergies and expedite implementation.

This development follows a series of steps to bolster bilateral military ties, including recent measures to expand cooperation in defense, energy security, rare earths, and artificial intelligence, finalized during the 16th India-Japan Summit. The statement marks India's first mention of its planned theater commands in a joint statement, coming at a critical juncture as the nation advances theaterization, a long-awaited reform aimed at integrating military resources for future conflicts.

The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to boosting defense cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, addressing challenges like China's power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.