Japan, India Agree On New Defence And Economic Projects
Tokyo (AFP) Oct 29, 2018
Japan and India agreed Monday to upgrade diplomatic and military ties, with Tokyo also offering low-interest loans as the two countries seek closer ties to balance China’s weight in the region.
The plans were announced as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi rounded out a three-day trip to Tokyo for talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, senior ministers, and local business leaders.
Experts said Abe, who last week became the first Japanese prime minister to visit Beijing since 2011, was performing a delicate balancing act — working to improve ties with China while keeping relations with India on a strong footing.
“Strong relations between Japan and India are the foundation that will sustain the region,” Abe said in a joint press statement with Modi after talks in Tokyo.
He said the two sides would launch a new ministerial-level security dialogue and strengthen exchanges between army and naval forces, and he offered low-interest loans worth 316.4 billion yen ($2.8 billion).
“Japan and India will take the lead for stability and prosperity in the region,” he said.
Modi said the investment would create around 30,000 new jobs in India, and that the two leaders had pledged “to push our cooperation at an uninterrupted speed.”
Though neither leader mentioned China by name, experts said the talks come against the backdrop of expanding Chinese influence in the region.
“The 21st century is a century of Asia,” Modi said in remarks translated into Japanese.
“There are questions — who will predominate and what should be done? It is clear that there won’t be a century of Asia without cooperation between India and Japan.”
“Prime Minister Abe is performing a balancing act between China and India,” said Takashi Kawakami, professor of international politics at Takushoku University in Tokyo.
“He met President Xi Jinping at a time when China and the US are in confrontation, and he is now meeting Modi to seal cooperation among Japan, India and the US on a free and open Indo-Pacific, against China,” Kawakami told AFP.
Modi and Abe have met regularly in recent years, with Japan last year inaugurating India’s first bullet train project — a $19 billion project using Japanese trains and technology.
It is meant to link Ahmedabad to India’s financial capital Mumbai and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.
The two leaders have reportedly become friends, and Modi became the first foreign leader to receive an invitation to Abe’s holiday home in Yamanashi near Mount Fuji, where the pair held informal talks on Sunday.
Photos posted by the pair on the respective Twitter accounts showed them chatting in front of a fireplace at the logcabin, wearing striped slippers and smiling.
“I am truly honoured by this gesture. PM Abe also taught me the Japanese way of eating food using chopsticks!” Modi tweeted.
Courtesy: Spacewar
Prime Minister’s Office
29-October-2018 18:46 IST
List of Announcements/Agreements signed between India and Japan during visit of Prime Minister to Japan
Announcements
- Japan announced joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) submitting the instrument of ratification on 29th October 2018. As of now there are 70 countries that have signed the ISA Framework Agreement (ISA FA) and 47 countries that have ratified it. Japan will be the 71st country to sign and 48th country to ratify the ISA FA.
- Exchange of Notes concerning the provision of seven Yen loan projects including the Project for the Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, Project for Renovation and Modernization of Umiam-Umtru Stage-III Hydroelectric Power Station, Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project (Phase 3), North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project, Project for the Construction of Turga Pumped Storage, Project for the Construction of Chennai Peripheral Ring Road and Project for Sustainable Catchment Forest Management in Tripura (total loan provision of up to 316.458 billion yen)
| Sl. No. | Name of the MOU/Agreement/Treaty | Description |
| A. Defence and Strategic | ||
| 1. | Implementing arrangement for deeper cooperation between Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and Indian Navy | For greater cooperation and exchange of information in Maritime domain awareness between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force |
| B. Digital and New Technologies | ||
| 2. | MoC between Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry on Japan-India Digital Partnership | To tap into the synergies and complementarities between Japan’s “Society 5.0” and India’s flagship programmes like “Digital India”, “Smart City” and “Start-up India” in areas of next generation technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IoT (Internet of Things), etc. |
| 3. | Statement of Intent between NITI Aayog and Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI), Japan on Artificial Intelligence (AI) | To encourage and develop cooperation on Artificial Intelligence technologies |
| C. Healthcare and Wellness | ||
| 4. | MoC between Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Republic of India and the Office of Healthcare Policy, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan in the field of Healthcare and Wellness | To establish a mechanism to identify potential areas for collaboration between India and Japan in common domains of primary healthcare, prevention of non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health services, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and elderly care |
| 5. | MoC between The Ministry of AYUSH of Republic of India and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan in the field of Healthcare and Wellness | MoC between The Ministry of AYUSH of Republic of India and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan in the field of Healthcare and Wellness |
| 6. | MoU on Food Safety between Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) & The Food Safety Commission of Japan, The Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan, The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. | For furthering cooperation between the the agencies from India and Japan in area of food safety |
| D. Food Value Chain and Agriculture Areas | ||
| 7. | MoC between Ministry of Food Processing & Industries and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan in the field of Food Processing Industry. | Aims at developing India’s food processing industry with involvement of relevant stakeholders such as local governments, private companies, etc. |
| 8. | The Program for Promoting Investment into India by Japan in the Field of Agriculture and Fisheries between Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare, India & Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. | To promote development of agricultural value chain and fisheries, including aquaculture, by improving the investment environment for Japanese companies. |
| 9. | MoC on Development of Food Value Chain in Maharashtra between State Government of Maharashtra and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. | To facilitate investment of Japanese companies in food value chain in State of Maharashtra |
| 10. | Memorandum of Cooperation on Development of Food Value Chain in Uttar Pradesh Between The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and The State Government of Uttar Pradesh, India. | To facilitate investment of Japanese companies in food value chain in State of Uttar Pradesh |
| E. Economic | ||
| 11. | MoU between Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India and NEXI, Japan | For stimulating trade and investment between India and Japan and strengthening cooperation in projects in third countries. |
| F. Postal | ||
| 12. | MOC in Postal Field between the Ministry of Communications, Government of India and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Government of Japan. | To strengthen cooperation in postal field including through setting up of Postal Services Dialogue between Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications |
| G. S&T, Academic Exchanges and Environment | ||
| 13. | MoU between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Hiroshima University, Japan for Research Partnership. | To promote research partnership in areas such as Electronics, Sensors, High Speed Vision, Robotics, Advanced Manufacturing including Mechatronics, Environmental Research, Intelligent Transportation, etc. |
| 14. | MoU between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo, Japan for Research Partnership | To promote research partnership in areas like Renewable Energy, Electronics including Robotics/IoT, Advanced Materials, etc. |
| 15. | Agreement for Cooperation between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT), Japan for joint research in interdisciplinary areas for application in Industrial Research. | To establish research partnership between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) in areas such as Advanced Materials, Bioscience and Information Technologies. |
| 16. | MOC in Postal Field between the Ministry of Communications, Government of India and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Government of Japan. | To strengthen cooperation in postal field including through setting up of Postal Services Dialogue between Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications |
| 17. | MoC between India and Japan in the field of Environment Cooperation. | To promote greater cooperation between India and Japan for protection and improvement of environment |
| 18. | MoU between National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), India, and Shizuoka University, Japan for Academic and Research exchanges. | To promote academic linkages between the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research S.A.S Nagar, and Shizuoka University |
| 19. | Memorandum of Understanding on Further Cooperation toward Indo-Japan Global Startup between Nagasaki University and IIITDM Kancheepuram, India. | Information Technology and Human Resources development along with Indo-Japan Global Startup. |
| 20. | Memorandum Of Understanding on Academic and Educational Exchange betwen Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India and Hiroshima University, Japan. | Joint Research Promotion and exchange of students and faculties between the two institutions. |
| 21. | Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. | Joint Research Promotion and exchange of students and faculties between the two institutions. |
| 22. | (Agreement)Academic Exchange Agreement between Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and Faculty, Graduate School and School of Engineering, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University (MOU)Memorandum of Understanding on Student Exchange between Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and Graduate School and School of Engineering, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University | Joint Research Promotion and exchange of students and faculties between the two institutions. |
| H. Sports | ||
| 23. | MoU between Sports Authority of India (SAI), India and University of Tsukuba, Japan for academic exchanges and sports cooperation | To strengthen cooperation in the field of sports development and excellence through joint programmes. |
| I. Exchange of Notes of Loan Agreements for: | ||
| 24. | Project for the Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail(II) | |
| 25. | Project for Renovation and Modernization of Umiam-Umtru Stage-III Hydroelectric Power Station. | |
| 26. | Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project (Phase 3) (III) | |
| 27. | North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 3) (I) | |
| 28. | Project for Sustainable Catchment Forest Management in Tripura | |
| G2B/B2B Agreements | ||
| 29. | Memorandum of Understanding between KAGOME Co., LTD., Japan and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India | |
| 30. | Joint Venture Agreement between State Bank of India (SBI) and SBI Payment Services Pvt. Ltd and Hitachi Payment Services Pvt Ltd | |
| 31. | Memorandum of Understanding between Nissan Steel Industry Co., Ltd., Japan and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India | |
| 32. | Letter of Intents and Acknowledgements of Private Sector Investment Project Proposals by 57 Japanese companies to make investment in India and 15 Indian companies to make investment in Japan, supported by Both Governments of India and Japan | |