India, Japan sign maritime security pact to deepen naval cooperation

India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation, a move intended to deepen ties between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The agreement was signed in New Delhi on August 20 by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

The MoA creates a framework for expanding practical cooperation between the two navies at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and growing competition in the Indo-Pacific. According to the arrangement, maritime cooperation is intended to become more structured, regular, and operationally useful. The agreement provides for greater information sharing, particularly in the area of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), and covers activities such as naval exercises and other collaborative efforts aimed at regional stability.

The pact reflects ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen their strategic partnership in the maritime domain.