Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to host his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, in New Delhi for comprehensive bilateral talks on Monday, a meeting that comes at a critical juncture marked by heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and ongoing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The talks are expected to cover a broad spectrum of strategic and security issues, with both sides exchanging views on the prevailing regional and international security landscape and exploring avenues to further deepen their robust defence cooperation.

A key focus of the discussions will be the security situation arising from the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and has intensified diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan. The Japanese leadership has already expressed solidarity with India, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Japan’s support against terrorism.

Another prominent agenda item is the progress on a proposed Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement, which, if finalised, would allow Indian and Japanese armed forces to use each other's military bases for repair, resupply, and maintenance. This pact is seen as a significant step towards enhancing interoperability and operational coordination between the two militaries, reflecting the growing strategic convergence between the two nations.

The two sides are also expected to deliberate on expanding defence industrial cooperation, including joint development and co-production initiatives in the defence manufacturing sector. Notably, India and Japan recently signed an agreement for the co-development of specialised stealth radio communication equipment for naval warships, signalling deepening technological collaboration.

Regional security dynamics, particularly China’s increasing military posturing in the East and South China Seas, will be reviewed during the talks. Both India and Japan, as members of the Quad along with the US and Australia, share concerns over stability and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, and their defence exchanges have grown stronger due to a shared outlook on peace and security in the region.

This meeting marks the second interaction between Singh and Nakatani within six months, following their previous engagement on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos in November 2024, where they began discussions on the reciprocal logistics agreement and other cooperative measures.

The Ministry of Defence has underscored that defence and security are vital pillars of the India-Japan relationship, which has gained “qualitative momentum” since the elevation of ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014. As both countries navigate complex regional challenges, their growing defence partnership is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific.

PTI