India, Japan sign maritime security pact to deepen defence cooperation
India and Japan have signed a maritime security pact to enhance defense cooperation, including information sharing, naval exercises, and logistics support. The agreement aims to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and strengthen naval shipbuilding capabilities.
Why it matters
The pact signals a deepening strategic alliance between India and Japan to counter regional security threats and maintain maritime stability in the Indo-Pacific.
As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi held bilateral talks , India and Japan on Thursday (August 20, 2026) signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation and agreed to deepen operational cooperation — including information sharing, naval exercises, ship repair and logistics support.
According to the Defence Ministry, the two Ministers, in their talks in New Delhi, reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen defence cooperation under the “Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership” and work towards a free and open Indo-Pacific amid heightened global tensions.
The two sides expressed strong opposition to unilateral actions that impede freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, and to attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
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