News Highlight
The second India-Japan 2+2 Dialogue concluded in Tokyo with both sides reaffirming their resolve to make India-Japan ties more robust and complementary.
Key Takeaway
- Acknowledging the need for strengthening global cooperation amidst the global security scenario, the Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister of India, along with their Japanese counterparts, jointly echoed their commitment to a rule-based global order while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
India and Japan relations
- Political Relations:
- Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations in 1952.
- This treaty was one of Japan’s first peace treaties after World War II.
- Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations.
- Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations in 1952.
- Economic and Commercial Cooperation
- The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that came into force in 2011 is the most comprehensive of all such agreements concluded by India and covers not only trade in goods but also services, movement of natural persons, investments, intellectual property rights, customs procedures, and other trade-related issues.
- Infrastructure project:
- Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) supports India’s efforts for accelerated economic development, particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects, and projects related to basic human needs.
- The Ahmedabad-Mumbai High-Speed Rail, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (with twelve new industrial townships), and the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) are all mega projects on the anvil which will transform India in the next decade.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
- Japan’s FDI flows to India were $1.5 billion, according to provisional 2021-22 Reserve Bank of India data, accounting for 2.6 per cent of the overall inflows.
- Science and Technology:
- The bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed in 1985 underpins the bilateral S&T cooperation.
- The India-Japan Science Council (IJSC) was established in the year 1993.
- The Lunar Polar Exploration mission is a robotic lunar mission concept by the Indian Space Research Organisation and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that would send a lunar rover and lander to explore the south pole region of the Moon no earlier than 2025.
- Cultural Cooperation
- India and Japan have long cultural and civilisational ties. The cultural ties go back to the 6th century when Buddhism spread to Japan through China and Korea.
- In 752 AD, Bodhisena, an Indian monk, performed the consecration, or eye-opening, of a statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni at the Todaiji Temple in Nara.
- A cultural agreement was signed between India and Japan in 1956, which came into effect in 1957.
- Security-based relations:
- India and Japan are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, and Japan.
- Dharma Guardian is a joint military exercise between India and Japan that began in 2018.
- India and Japan held India’s first-ever ministerial-level 2+2 dialogue in 2019.
- This dialogue involves the Defence and Foreign Ministers on both sides and is seen as an endorsement of the special strategic partnership between India, and Japan.
- Indian diaspora
- Indian diaspora in Japan is over 40,000.
- The old Indian community in Japan focused on trading in textiles, commodities, and electronics. With close links to India as well as connections in Hong Kong and Shanghai, they became major players in trading activities across Asia. A newer segment of the community is engaged in gems and jewellery.
- Nuclear:
- Indo-Japan Nuclear Deal was signed in 2017, which seeks cooperation in energy security.
Pic Courtesy: The Economic Times
Content Source: The Hindu