India and Japan held the 5th round of maritime affairs Dialogue in Tokyo

India and Japan held the 5th round of maritime affairs Dialogue in Tokyo

On December 26, 2019, India and Japan held the 5^th round of maritime affairs Dialogue in Tokyo. The countries agreed to deepen their maritime cooperation during the dialogue. Alongside this, the countries also held their 8^th round of bilateral consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation. The countries agreed to deepen their mutual interests in maritime affairs.

India-Japan Defence relations

• The first round of India-Japan Maritime dialogue was held in New Delhi in 2013.
• The countries have signed the Acquisition and Cross Serving Agreement that allows access to each other’s military bases. Through this agreement, India is now able to access Japan base in Djibouti and the Japanese Navy is able to access Indian Naval base in Andaman and Nicobar islands.
• The countries also hold JIMEX (Japan-India Maritime Exercise), which is conducted annually.
• India and Japan also hold 2+2 defence dialogue 
• Apart from the US, Japan is the only country with which India holds such defence dialogue. The first such dialogue with Japan was held in New Delhi in November 2019.

Significance

India and Japan have convergent interests in maritime security. The countries depend on sea-borne trade to sustain their economies. Therefore, it is essential to work together on the security of trade. Regarding the disputes in the South-China Sea, both the countries have affirmed that a peaceful means of unilateral action is required in the region.