The second India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting was held on Thursday in Tokyo by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Japanese side was represented by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada. At the summit's conclusion, Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, also joined.
After the Japanese prime minister's visit to India for the yearly India-Japan summit, this meeting is taking place more than five months later. The nations' diplomatic ties have now existed for 70 years.
With only a select few nations, notably the US, Japan, Australia, and Russia, does India have ministerial conversation in the "2+2" framework. In the context of the geopolitical unrest that has been partly caused by the Ukraine crisis, China's aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific, and the increasing tension between Beijing and Taipei in the Taiwan Strait, India has been strengthening its strategic connections with its major allies.
Key takeaways from 2+2 meet:
1) The participating Ministers reiterated their dedication to a world system based on norms. In an apparent reference to China's and Russia's actions in the South China Sea, they emphasised the need for all nations to pursue peaceful solutions to issues in accordance with international law without using force. During the "Partnership for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Post-COVID World" meeting held in March of this year, the ministers once more reaffirmed their Prime Ministers' pledge.
2) They expressed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific as the meeting came to a close. The Ministers reaffirmed their unwavering commitment for the unity and centrality of ASEAN.
3) The two foreign and defence ministers acknowledged their delight with several significant conversations that had previously taken place. The following topics were discussed: the February 2021 Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue; the September 2021 Maritime Affairs Dialogue; the November 2021 Space Dialogue; and the June 2022 Cyber Dialogue.
4) One of the summit's main focuses was on the nations' defence cooperation. India invited Japan to participate in the multinational exercise in Milan and expressed its pleasure with the operationalization of the agreement on the exchange of supplies and services for their armed forces. The Ministers also reaffirmed their resolve to carry out future bilateral and international military drills, such as Malabar and Dharma Guardian.
5) The conference also aimed to strengthen current defence equipment and technology collaboration, particularly in the areas of robotics and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).