The India-Japan bromance is very much alive and kicking. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Japan next week to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, closer defence ties are likely to be on the table. The two prime ministers, who have always had a shared chemistry, are likely to go beyond just robust economic relations.
“We expect to sign an agreement, between the Japanese and Indian naval defence forces, with regard to maritime domain awareness and security issues,” said ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu at a Brookings India talk on Monday. “We would like to have more cooperation in this domain too.”
Also on the cards is the “start of a kind a formal negotiation process”, possibly of a mutual logistics support agreement. This would mean that India and Japan can use each other’s military bases, as well as provide logistical support. This agreement, if signed, will certainly signal a new high between India and Japan. This is not the first time that such a possibility is coming up. Closer defence ties were hinted at a meeting when the Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera came calling in August.
While India has struck just such a deal with France and America, signing up with Japan is certainly a move that will be closely watched by China.
Interestingly, Abe will embark on a two-day visit to China just before he reaches back home to welcome Modi. For India, which has been inching closer to Japan, this deal, or at least talking about it, will certainly be a significant step forward. Like the nuclear deal that Japan signed with India two years ago—negotiations, which, by the admission of the Japanese ambassador, were not easy—this too, will mark an added commitment to Indo-Japanese relations. This cementing of the relationship—now an important plank in India’s foreign policy—can really be credited to PM Modi. Trade ties and closer economic relations have defined the relationship so far. India and Japan coming closer in military matters, however, will add a different aspect to the relationship. Love is certainly in the air.
