The Defense Ministers of Japan and India met over the weekend to review defense relations between the two countries. In a joint press statement the two ministers agreed to increase cooperation in anti-piracy operations along the Coast of Somalia. They also “recognized their mutual interest in the safety of sea-lines of communications and welcomed recent reinforcement of cooperation in the field of Maritime Security between the two Defense authorities as well as the inauguration of Japan-India Maritime Security Dialogue.”
Japan-India relations have traditionally been cordial and cooperative with only a few hiccups. Considering its history with nuclear weapons, it was understandable that Japan suspended grant aid and loans for new projects, undertook a “careful examination” of loans to India by international organizations and tightened restrictions over transfer of technology after India’s 1998 nuclear tests. However, after a few years friendly relations were restored and economic and defense cooperation boomed.
Maritime security has been a prominent feature of Indo-Japanese defense cooperation especially since the turn of the century. According to the Japanese Defense Ministry website, “Between the coast guards, combined exercises on anti-piracy, search & rescue etc. have been conducted every year since 2000. Heads of coast guards of both countries visit each other almost every year. The two coast guards exchanged a Memorandum on Cooperation at the occasion of commandant Ishikawa’s visit to India in November, 2006.”
The Indian Ocean is an important trade sea-line for both countries and there is a lot of room for improving cooperation in securing the trade routes in that region. Piracy along the Coast of Somalia and increasing terrorist threats from the sea indicate that India could use the expertise of a sea-faring country like Japan in security its coastline. The Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India signed last year calls for an “action plan with specific measures” which should be created and implemented at the earliest.
