India-Pak Tensions: Japan Condemns All Forms Of Terrorism; Delhi, Tokyo Vow To Eliminate Terror Safe Havens

By: Amb Gurjit Singh

On May 5, 2025, Indian Raksha Mantri (Defense Minister) Rajnath Singh met Japan’s Minister of Defense, Mr. Gen Nakatani, at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.

The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for enhanced global cooperation to counter the threat.

Rajnath Singh specifically denounced Pakistan’s policy of cross-border terrorism, warning that such state-sponsored actions undermine regional peace and security. He called for a unified international stance against terrorism and those who support or harbour it.

Minister Nakatani expressed his condolences for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, and offered Japan’s full support to India in its fight against terrorism.

Both sides condemned terrorism in all forms and emphasised the need for enhanced collaboration and joint efforts to counter cross-border threats,” Singh said after the meeting, calling for a unified stand against terrorism and the state-sponsored actions that perpetuate it.

The ministers reviewed ongoing defence and security cooperation under the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace and stability. They welcomed the growing scope and frequency of joint military exercises and agreed to further deepen maritime cooperation.

Rajnath Singh also highlighted opportunities for industrial collaboration, particularly in tank and aero engine development, maintenance, and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and automation. Both sides expressed interest in expanding cooperation in the cyber and space domains. The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to elevate bilateral defence ties to new heights.

Establishing a senior officer-level dialogue body to coordinate the overall collaborative work between their forces and enhance joint exercises among the Japanese Self-Defence Forces and the Indian military is envisaged.

Dissuasions on transferring Unicorn communication antennas similar to those installed on a new Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer remain on the table. There is a nascent approach to India participating in the Global Combat Air Program, an initiative involving Japan, Britain, and Italy to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035.

In 2014, the India-Japan relationship was upgraded to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. They are now more active together in the Indo-Pacific and the Quad, with issues of South Asia largely focusing on trilateral collaboration in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Japan has kept Pakistan more as an economic partner.

On August 20, 2024, New Delhi hosted the third India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting, bringing together India’s Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, and the Minister of Defence Mr. KIHARA Minoru. The meeting underscored the deepening strategic partnership between the two democracies, rooted in shared values and common visions for regional stability and global peace.

• Gurjit Singh is a former Ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN, and the African Union Chair, CII Task Force on Trilateral Cooperation in Africa, Professor, IIT Indore.