Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will convene the third India-Japan ‘2+2″ foreign and defence industrial meeting. Joining them will be Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss strategies for balancing China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region and strengthening teamwork between India and Japan. Additionally, the dialogue aims to deepen defence and security cooperation between the two nations.
Amid growing consensus on strategic matters, the gathering in New Delhi takes place with a specific focus on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. This objective seeks to revisit the jointly signed security cooperation declaration from 2008.
During the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York next month, discussions are anticipated between the two sides regarding India’s proposal for a Quad summit. India is scheduled to host this summit later this year, and recent reports from Tokyo suggest that Kishida, who will soon step down as Prime Minister of Japan, may travel to the US beforehand to participate in the General Assembly and meet with President Joe Biden. This has given a significant boost to the possibility of the summit taking place in September in the US.
The inaugural dialogue was conducted in India in 2019, followed by a subsequent meeting in Japan in 2022. India currently engages in ‘2+2’ ministerial discussions with select nations such as the US, Australia, and Russia.
