Defence Secretary and Japanese Vice Minister chair India–Japan Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo

India and Japan held their 8th Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo, Japan on 13 July 2026. The Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and the Japanese delegation was led by Vice Minister of Defence for International Affairs Mr. Kano Koji. Both sides reviewed the significant progress made in bilateral defence cooperation since the previous Defence Policy Dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The two countries held comprehensive discussions on the prevailing regional and global security environment and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. The dialogue reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral defence engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, co-operation between joint headquarters, maritime cooperation, defence exercises, capacity building, defence equipment and technology cooperation including maritime technology, and enhanced institutional interactions.

Both sides welcomed the steady expansion of defence cooperation and underscored the importance of maintaining regular high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms. They discussed probable outcomes for the forthcoming Ministerial visits including 2+2 later this year.(UPDATED ON 13TH JULY 2026)