Rajnath Singh chairs Japanese Defense Minister China's Defense Minister in the shadow of India-Pak tensions on Monday
Both sides are also expected to consider ways to promote cooperation between India and Japan's defense industry.
It will be the second meeting of the two defense ministers in six months after the girl interaction in November, outside the ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting at the Lao PDR.
At that meeting, Singh and Gen Nakatani considered the mutual provisions of supply and service agreements to make their military more interoperable.
The mutual supply and service agreement (if sealed) will provide the military of the two countries with the basis to repair and replenish supplies, and will also promote the expansion of overall defense cooperation. “India and Japan have a long-term friendship, which has further gained quality momentum after the advancement of special strategies and global partnerships in 2014,” Singh-Nakatani said in a statement. “Defense and security are important pillars of relations between the two countries.”
It is understood that the two sides will also review the situation in strategic maritime waters in eastern and southern China, and Beijing has been increasing its military posture.
“Defense exchanges between India and Japan have gained strength in recent years due to the increasing integration of strategic affairs,” the ministry said.
It added: “Its significance comes from a shared view on issues of peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
