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[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to India's Financial Express on the 17th, India and Japan will hold a "2+2" dialogue between defense ministers and foreign ministers from the 19th to the 21st. This is the first high-level meeting of the two countries since September 2022. According to information revealed by Indian and Japanese media before the meeting, the two countries may strengthen defense relations and discuss issues such as Japan's export of defense equipment to India.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will visit India from the 19th to the 21st, and will hold a meeting with Indian Defense Minister Singh and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Delhi on the 20th. The Financial Express said that the upcoming dialogue is expected to deepen India-Japan bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of defense and security, as the two countries seek to strengthen their strategic partnership in the "Indo-Pacific region." The dialogue will focus on expanding cooperation in defense equipment and technology based on previous discussions.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 17th, officials from the two governments will confirm at the dialogue that they intend to revise the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation signed in 2008. The joint declaration clearly proposed to establish a comprehensive cooperative relationship in the field of security, including exchanges between diplomatic and defense officials and maritime transport security. The report said that in addition to incorporating cooperation in the fields of space and cyber security into the revised joint declaration, Japan and India also held comprehensive discussions on the revision in consideration of China's so-called "growing maritime expansion." The two countries will finalize the revised joint declaration to coincide with Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to Japan at the end of this year.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, a major focus of the dialogue may be the announcement of a new defense agreement, in which Japan will provide India with advanced communication antennas for use on warships. These antennas are currently used on the cutting-edge frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and are known for their ability to quickly detect missiles and drones. They are expected to enhance India's maritime defense capabilities.

The Financial Express quoted the above news from Japanese media and commented that if this agreement is reached, it will mark an important step forward in Japan's defense export policy. This will be the second time Japan has exported a complete set of defense equipment after providing radar systems to the Philippines last year. The deal is also expected to help India diversify its defense procurement sources and reduce its dependence on Russia. This expected agreement highlights the growing strategic partnership between India and Japan. The "2+2" dialogue will also discuss other key aspects of the bilateral relationship, including increasing the frequency and quality of joint military exercises. (Chen Xin)