INDIA’S WORLD : Nov 4, 2019
1. INDIA JAPAN :2 +2 DIALOGUE
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe reviewed the evolving security scenario in the Indo-Pacific region and agreed to further bolster bilateral cooperation in third countries for peace, prosperity and development in the region.
•The two leaders held a meeting on the sidelines of East Asia summit in Bangkok during which China’s fast expanding military and economic expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region figured prominently.
•The ministry of external affairs said the two leaders are deliberated on the inaugural ‘2+2’ Indo-Japan foreign and defence ministerial dialogue letter in India, that it will help provide impetus to security and defence cooperation between the two sides.
•Two plus two dialogue was there earlier at Vice Minister level since 2010.
•United States are no longer dependent on oil from the Gulf whereas countries like India, Japan and Korea are so much dependent on the gulf.
• India and Japan worked together in strategic atmosphere in the Indian Ocean, in Gulf and also in neighbourhood like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives.
•Two plus two dialogue signifies:-
-we are at a stage where both Tokyo and New Delhi are looking at this relationship from a Holistic perspective.
-the positive trajectory of Indo-Japanese relationship.
•Critical aspects of this relationship which have been outlined but still being operationalize are the connectivity projects, third party projects and neighbourhood projects in which India and Japan are involved. This dialogue is so instrumental to shape such issues.
•Defence cooperation between India and Japan is an important component of global partnership that India conceived with Japan.
•From 2015, India focuses more on joint exercises with Japan.
2 •The annual exercises between Indian Army and ground self defence forces of Japan. Since 2015, qualitative depth of relationship had increased, 2 fundamental key elements have been signed:-
-Agreement on Defence technology and equipment Cooperation.
-Agreement on protection of classified military information.
• In 2013 – ‘Maiden National Security Strategy’ talk about robust cooperation with India particularly in terms of Joint exercises, Maritime exercises followed by consecutive National Defence programme guidelines recent in December 2018.
•Beyond bilateral exercises high and technology cooperation can also be focused on.
• Japan is interested in India markets.
-India Japan Defence Forum.
-Joint working groups.
- Japan has invested a lot in India’s economic development, structure development.
- Maruti Suzuki and Metro in many cities have transformed India’s transportation sector.
• Japanese industries are investing more in China from where they are shifting towards Vietnam because they found India's environment difficult to navigate.
• Asia-Africa Economic Corridor:-
- The idea of this was to link Africa with South-East Asia, India and Japan being two anchors in that.
•Indo-pacific:-
Japan is an important factor in our Act-East policy which is important component of Indo Pacific strategy.
• Japan is formal US Alliance partner since post war period and India's foreign policy is different.