India, Japan unequivocally condemn terrorism, call for action against UN-listed terror groups

New Delhi, Aug 21 (Representtive) The defence and foreign ministers of India and Japan unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and called for bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other attacks to justice. They called for concerted actions against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, and to take resolute actions to root out terrorists’ safe havens, eliminate terrorist financing channels, and halt cross-border movement of terrorists, said the Joint Statement issued after the Third 2+2 meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, EAM S Jaishankar and Japanese Defence Minister Kihara Minoru and Japanese FM Yoko Kamikawa here today. The Ministers appreciated the progress in the defence cooperation and exchanges since the last meeting in September 2022. They welcomed the first air visit by Japanese fighters and their participation at Tarang Shakti, the first multilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. They also welcomed the conduct of the inaugural edition of the bilateral fighter exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) and conduct of the bilateral exercises of all the three services in one calendar year for the first time in 2023. The Ministers further concurred on deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of space and cyber.They reaffirmed the importance of multilateral defence cooperation and exchanges in the Indo-Pacific region. The Ministers expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including “Dharma Guardian”, JIMEX and “Malabar.” The Ministers appreciated that the first Joint Service Staff Talks were held. They appreciated the successful completion of the cooperation in the areas of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)/Robotics. They appreciated the progress made for the transfer of Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) and related technologies and early signing of related arrangements. The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the seventh India-Japan Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Cooperation and concurred on accelerating future cooperation in defence equipment and technology.

The Ministers welcomed the Indian Naval Force and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and exploring future cooperation in the area of ship maintenance in India. The Ministers concurred on exploring discussions for coordination and cooperation in the field of defence and security assistance to third countries for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening the rules-based international order founded on the principles of the UN Charter, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force, and emphasized the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo, in reference to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ministers highlighted their common strategic vision towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, that is inclusive, peaceful, prosperous and resilient, as part of the rules-based international order and reiterated their strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality. The Ministers valued their cooperation in Quad and reaffirmed their commitment to advance it further based on the discussion at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo on 29 July 2024. The ministers looked forward to having dialogues in areas such as space, maritime affairs and Africa.Furthermore, in light of the strategic depth of the bilateral relations, they concurred on promoting in-depth dialogues for further cooperation in the field of economic security and strategic trade. They also concurred to continue to work together on Security Council reform with a view to strengthening the UN. Highlighting the importance of leading role of women in the prevention of conflicts, delivering relief and recovery efforts and forging lasting peace, the Ministers welcomed the advancement of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and Indian and Japanese women’s active participation in peacekeeping operations.