Japan-India Defense Ministers’ Telephone Conversation

December 22, 2020
Japan Ministry of Defense
in Japanese

On December 22, 2020, Minister KISHI held a telephone conversation with Defence Minister of India, H.E. Rajnath Singh.

  1. Minister Singh congratulated Minister Kishi on his appointment as Minister of Defense. Minister Kishi expressed his appreciation.
  2. The two ministers confirmed the recent achievements including the signing of Japan-India ACSA in September and the successful completion of the naval exercise “Malabar” held by Japan, the United States, India and Australia in November, welcoming the fact that bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation and exchanges have been promoted despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. The two ministers also exchanged views on regional situations, including the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and reaffirmed their continued close cooperation. In this context, the ministers affirmed their intention to continue exchanging views in light of the current events occurring in the region and 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. They also shared the view on highlighting the importance of a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law.
  4. In addition, the two ministers discussed cooperating against the risks imposed by infectious diseases that could affect peace and security and promote Japan-India efforts as follows:
    5. ●sharing lessons learned in humanitarian aid and disaster response (HA/DR) operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    ●finding new opportunities for cooperation in third countries in order to make them more resilient to the pandemic.
    ●exchanging views on reinforcing the rules-based international order, including working together to counter disinformation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
     Minister Singh supported the proposal and suggested to work together.
  5. The two ministers affirmed that they would continue to vigorously promote defense cooperation and exchanges to uphold and reinforce the Free and Open Indo-Pacific while maintaining close communication between respective defense authorities.