India, Japan to hold joint naval exercise, security dialogue
Dated 25/5/2006
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Tokyo: Against the backdrop of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, India and Japan today announced a slew of measures to step up defence cooperation, envisaging joint naval exercises, regular comprehensive security dialogue and meetings between defence ministers of the two countries.
A joint statement released after Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had talks with his Japanese Minister of State for Defence Fukushiro Nukaga said the Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) will hold goodwill exercises with progressively advanced content of future possible exercises in areas of mutual interest.
It said defence ministers of the two countries will hold dialogue at regular intervals, alternately in the two capitals or elsewhere, and also use opportunities for bilateral exchanges at regional and multilateral meetings.
The two countries will hold defence policy dialogue at the defence secretary level from time to time, alternately in India and Japan and there will be regular comprehensive security dialogue and military-to-military talks.
The two sides also agreed to exchange of ship visits between the Indian Navy and the JMSDF. They also agreed to invite officials of each other`s to witness designated military activities.
At the delegation-level talks, the two ministers discussed the emerging security environment in Asia and at the global level that have challenged India and Japan through new threats including trans-national terrorism, violent extremism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related materials, equipment, technologies and the means of delivery.
Mukherjee and Nugaka also discussed the threat to maritime traffic and recognized that in today
