India and Japan on Tuesday exchanged views on their regional situations amidst the growing influence of China.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with his Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo, in which both leaders reviewed the regional situations including the East China Sea and the South China Sea in light of the current events.
Both leaders “concurred” in sending a clear message that they “strongly oppose any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tension”, Japanese Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
A separate statement by the South Block says the two Ministers discussed the security situation in the region and "the need for a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law."
They expressed satisfaction at the signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services in further promoting defence ties between the two countries. The agreement was signed in September and boosts the interoperability between the armed forces of the two countries. It establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in the reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.
"In recent past, both countries have made notable strides in Defence Industry and Technology cooperation and look forward to even greater cooperation in this field," South Block, which houses the ministry of defence said in a statement.
Discussing cooperation measures against the risks imposed by infectious diseases that could affect peace and security, the two ministers agreed on “finding new opportunities for cooperation in third countries in order to make them more resilient to the pandemic” and sharing lessons learned in humanitarian aid and disaster response (HADR) operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Exchanging views on reinforcing the rules-based international order, including working together to counter disinformation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Japanese ministry of defence said in its statement.
