Japan, India Hope for Early Defense Logistics Pact

New Delhi, Nov. 30 (Jiji Press)--Japan and India held the first meeting of their foreign and defense ministers on Saturday, paving the way for an early conclusion of an agreement on mutual supplies of food and other items between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Indian military. After the "two-plus-two" talks, the ministers said in a joint statement that they "welcomed significant progress made in the negotiations" on concluding the bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, pinning their hope on signing the pact at an early date. The two countries aim to sign the agreement during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India as early as mid-December, sources familiar with the situation said. The ACSA pact is aimed at allowing the SDF and the Indian military to share food and ammunition. The two countries have already started joint exercises between the Indian military and Japan's Ground, Maritime and Air SDF. At Saturday's meeting, the ministers agreed to make arrangements for conducting the first exercise using respective fighter jets in Japan. From Japan, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Taro Kono took part in the meeting, while India was represented by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. "The two-plus-two framework symbolizes the increased significance of the Japan-India relationship in the security field," Kono said at the beginning of the meeting. Singh said India hopes to deepen its cooperative relationship with Japan in defense and security through the meeting. At a time when China is expanding its activities in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, Japan and India share with the United States a vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, designed to ensure the rule of law in the region. Through the two-plus-two framework, Japan and India strengthened their cooperation further. After the meeting, Kono stressed the significance of the bilateral two-plus-two meeting. The minister shared the understanding that it is very important for Japan, India, the United States and Australia to work closely together in line with the idea of ensuring an open Indo-Pacific, he told reporters. Welcoming the joint statement, Motegi suggested that the two countries issued a clear message. The Japanese and Indian ministers also discussed North Korean issues and China's naval expansion in the East China Sea, and affirmed cooperation in dealing with these issues. Ahead of the two-plus-two talks, Motegi and Kono paid a courtesy call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Abe and Modi have been promoting bilateral cooperation through the shuttle diplomacy of mutual visits. At their meeting in Japan in October last year, the two leaders agreed to hold the two-plus-two meeting. Japan became the second country to conduct two-plus-two talks with India, after the United States. The next such meeting between Japan and India will be held in Tokyo. END