Japan, India Agree to Boost Maritime Security Cooperation

New Delhi, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, on Thursday confirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in maritime security and on defense equipment, with the aim of stabilizing the Indo-Pacific region.

In their meeting in New Delhi, the two defense ministers also agreed to expand exchanges between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Indian military.

Koizumi and Singh signed a memorandum on maritime security cooperation, which calls for exploring the possibility of equipment transfers to enhance the Indian Navy's minesweeping capabilities and for joint development in naval shipbuilding and design.

The memorandum also said the two countries will utilize each other's shipyards for naval repair and maintenance to ensure the stability of sea lanes.

In the meeting, Koizumi explained that the Japanese government has revised its three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines to enable exports of lethal weapons in principle.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]