NEW DELHI: India and Japan on Friday launched a major partnership on economic security, strengthening their “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” beyond traditional diplomatic and defence cooperation.
The initiatives were announced during a strategic dialogue in New Delhi between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. The two sides unveiled a Working Group on Critical Minerals and agreed to put in place a formal mechanism focused on economic security.
Highlighting the changing global situation, Jaishankar said economic security has become central to national sovereignty and global stability. “Economic Security today is particularly paramount. I think both our countries attach enormous importance to it, and how to de-risk our own economies, and how to de-risk the international economy are both very important. So, we will be discussing resilient supply chains, critical minerals, how to address energy, health, and maritime security in our talks today,” Jaishankar said.
The dialogue focused on building resilient supply chains to protect both countries from what officials described as uncertain international economic conditions. The new Working Group on Critical Minerals is expected to help secure access to rare-earth elements crucial for semiconductors and green energy, areas where both nations are seeking to reduce dependence on single-source suppliers. India and Japan also agreed to step up cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura said Japan plans to export the UNICORN integrated stealth antenna system to India for use on Indian naval vessels. The UNICORN system combines multiple communication functions into a single mast, significantly reducing a ship’s radar signature, and is seen as an important step forward in defence technology transfer between the two countries. Kitamura also spoke about cooperation between the two sides in India’s North East.
Speaking about the broader strategic outlook, Jaishankar said, “We are leading democracies, we are the major economies of the world, and we have today not just an opportunity, but also an obligation, a duty to shape the global order.” He added that the convergence between India and Japan now stretches from the Philippines to West Asia, reflecting shared interests in energy security and maritime stability.
The two ministers also discussed preparations to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, which they said would be celebrated in a “fitting manner” as bilateral ties continue to grow.
Kitamura noted that while the talks were wide-ranging, there were “no concrete talks” during this meeting on the timing of the next Quad summit.