The Governments of India and Japan (hereinafter referred to as ‘the two sides’),

Recalling the political vision and objectives of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership based on shared values and common interests,

Underscoring the indispensable role of their two countries for a free, open, peaceful, prosperous, and coercion-free Indo-Pacific region which upholds rules-based international order,

Taking cognizance of the notable progress in their bilateral security cooperation and the evolution of strategic outlook and policy priorities of the two sides in recent years,

Recognizing their complementary strengths in terms of resource endowments and technological capacities,

Committing to increase practical cooperation in the interest of their national security and continued economic dynamism,

Seeking to explore deeper coordination on security issues of common concern in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,

Committing to uphold the international order based on the rule of law,

Have adopted this Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation to reflect the new stage of their partnership, and concurred that they should:

1. Strive to contribute to each other’s defense capabilities and readiness, by promoting interoperability and synergy between their defense forces, including in, but not limited to, the following areas:

- (1) Conducting bilateral exercises between our forces in a wide range of fields with increasing complexity and sophistication, and reciprocal participation in multilateral exercises hosted by each other

- (2) Exploring to establish a new meeting framework on comprehensive dialogue between Joint Staffs

- (3) Exploring tri-service exercises to prepare for humanitarian and disaster relief operations in the Indo-Pacific

- (4) Collaboration between Special Operations Units

- (5) Enhancing use of the India-Japan Agreement Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces to share and support logistics

- (6) Exploring opportunities to cooperate in niche areas of each other’s priorities such as counter terrorism, peacekeeping operations and cyber defense

- (7) Sharing information including assessments with respect to emerging security risks

- (8) Promoting utilization of each other’s facilities for repair and maintenance of defense platforms

- (9) Exploring opportunities to collaborate on chemical, biological and radiological defense with focus on detection, decontamination, medical countermeasures, protective equipment, and response strategies to safeguard forces and populations from these threats

2. Advance their shared maritime security goals and promote naval and coast guard cooperation for a peaceful maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific region including through, but not limited to, the following:

- (1) More frequent visits and port calls by vessels belonging to the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Indian Armed Forces and their Coast Guard

- (2) Enhanced situational awareness and bilateral and region-wide cooperation for a common maritime picture through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) and the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)

- (3) Enhanced law enforcement cooperation against piracy, armed robbery and other transnational crimes at sea, bilaterally and through regional initiatives and platforms, including the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)

- (4) Bilateral and multilateral collaboration (including the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Asian Disaster Reduction Center) to reduce and prepare against disaster risk in the Indo-Pacific region, through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building

- (5) Coordination on their respective maritime security and maritime law enforcement assistance to third countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond

3. Promote and facilitate technological and industrial collaboration between their government entities and private sector stakeholders for resilience in sectors critical to national security, including by the following ways:

- (1) Exploring cooperation opportunities for mutual benefit and use under the Defense Equipment and Technology Cooperation mechanism for co-development and co-production of equipment and technology geared towards their current and future security needs

- (2) Regular industry exposure visits in defense and security area, focusing on specific capabilities, start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises towards both current and future security needs

- (3) Technology-sharing in new fields that effectively support the two sides’ operational approaches

- (4) Mutual understanding of respective export control policies and practices to encourage and promote cooperation in high-end technology and equipment and supply chain linkages

- (5) Cooperation on key issues related to economic security, including mitigating vulnerabilities in strategic areas as well as addressing economic coercion, non-market policies and practices and excess capacity resulting from them, as well as strengthening of supply chain resilience

- (6) Exploring cooperation opportunities in military medicine and health security to enhance preparedness and resilience against various threats

- (7) Enhancement of defense R&D cooperation between the Defense Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency of Japan (ATLA)

- (8) Cooperation in the field of critical minerals, including information exchange and technology for exploration, processing and refining

4. Find additional opportunities to contemporize their security cooperation against salient traditional and non-traditional threats and to respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by new, critical, and emerging technologies, including by the following ways:

- (1) Countering terrorism, radical extremism and organized transnational crimes, including in the digital domain and in their use of unmanned systems and modern information and communication technology, through intelligence- and experience-sharing

- (2) Promoting joint R&D, academia and industry collaboration in lockstep with advances in technologies such as AI, robotics, quantum, semiconductor, autonomous technology, future networks, biotechnology and cyber security while ensuring security and integrity.

- (3) Building their cyber resilience including critical information infrastructure robustness though sharing information

- (4) Expanding the use of respective space systems for national security, satellite-based navigation, earth observation and other mutually decided areas in the space sector

- (5) Conducting consultations for collaboration in Space Situational Awareness including tracking, monitoring, and management of space debris

5. Promote common regional and global security objectives and coordinate policies and positions in relevant multilateral and plurilateral groups, including by the following ways:

- (1) Supporting ASEAN centrality and unity, ASEAN-led frameworks, and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and contributing to each other’s strategic priorities for the region, namely Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)

- (2) Promoting in the Indo-Pacific region reliable, sustainable, resilient and quality infrastructure investment, which respects national sovereignty and territorial integrity

- (3) Opposing any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion, and supporting peaceful settlement of disputes, freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea consistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

- (4) Deepening cooperation within the Quad and advancing the Quad’s positive and practical agenda for peace and progress in the Indo-Pacific region

- (5) Promoting reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) including the expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent categories and supporting each other’s candidature as a permanent member in an expanded UNSC

- (6) Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and working together for an immediate end to material and financial support to terrorist activities, working together at multilateral fora to counter terrorism, and making efforts for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations

- (7) Reaffirming our shared commitment to a total elimination of nuclear weapons and an end to nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism as well as the immediate commencement and conclusion of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament on the basis of the Shannon Mandate

- (8) Continuing to work together for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group, with the aim of strengthening the global non-proliferation efforts

6. Supplement and reinforce the existing architecture of bilateral consultations and exchanges, through the Ministerial 2+2 meeting of the Foreign and Defense Ministers of the two sides and various official security dialogues with assorted mechanisms such as the following:

- (1) An annual dialogue of their National Security Advisers to take a comprehensive stock of the security situation facing India and Japan

- (2) The Dialogue on Economic Security Including Strategic Trade and Technology between India’s Foreign Secretary and Japan’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and to enhance mutual economic security and promote cooperation on strategic industries and technology

- (3) A high-level dialogue aimed at joint and cross-services cooperation between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces

- (4) A meeting at the level of their commandants of coast guard based on the Memorandum on Cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard

- (5) A reinvigorated India-Japan Defense Industry Forum to identify possibilities for business collaboration

- (6) A track 1.5 dialogue of think-tanks of India and Japan to promote wider appreciation of security challenges and elicit ideas for new cooperation

 

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MJPS/SR

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