Maritime security, anti-piracy measures, freedom of navigation and maintaining the security of sea lanes of communication to facilitate unhindered trade by the sea routes were some of the issues that dominated the India-Japan Defence Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo recently.

The delegation level talks, led by the Defence Minister A.K. Antony and his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Ichikawa, recognised the importance of sea lanes and decided to “actively pursue consultations and cooperation in the field of maritime security both bilaterally and in association with all other countries in the region”.

The Indian delegation included the Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, the Indian Ambassador to Japan, Aloke Prasad, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral R.K. Dhowan and GoC-in-C, Central Command, Lt General V.K. Ahluwalia.

Antony said maritime security challenges are becoming increasingly complex and varied and India has substantially increased its anti-piracy deployment in the East Arabian Sea since November 2010. He, however, felt that concerted efforts of the world community, under a UN mandate, are necessary to effectively address the problem.

“There is a need to not only have a legal framework for prosecuting the pirates, but concerted efforts are also necessary to track the money-trail and to stop it from being channelised for funding terrorist activities, worldwide,” he said.

Antony expressed happiness at the fact that both navies are exchanging escort schedules of their naval vessels deployed in the region to coordinate the anti-piracy efforts. He expressed the hope that the respective organisations from both sides, viz MLIT and DG Shipping, would be able to establish a mechanism to share the escort schedules with the merchant ships flagged with them.

Antony said the other serious issue in maritime security concerns the freedom of navigation and maintaining the security of the sea lines of communication (SLOC) to facilitate unhindered trade by the sea routes. This is of vital importance to all countries which depend on maritime trade. “India supports freedom of navigation in international waters and the rights of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS]. These principles should be respected by all.”

The Japanese Defence Minister will visit India early next year. Both sides will implement the Japan-India Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo, also early next year. Both sides will implement staff talks between the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (GSDF) and Indian Army in 2012. Staff exchanges between Japan Air Defence Force (ASDF) and Indian Air Force will be held in 2012 and be developed to staff talks at the earliest date.