Malabar drills aim at giving regional security, says Japan 

Malabar drills aim at giving regional security, says Japan

(Japan aims at regional security through Malabar drill)

Context

• Japanese ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatasu considers the trilateral Naval exercise at Malabar 2017, involving India, the U.S. and Japan, as strategically very important and destined to maintain the rule of law and maritime security in the region.

The important points

• The Ambassador assured that Japan’s relations with India had a solid base, “for safeguarding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
• He hinted at more exchanges linking ground and air forces and an exchange of personnel in various areas.

Other areas

• Japan’s ambassador denied that the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor project, envisaging an India-Japan collaboration in Africa is to counter China’s Belt and Road project.
• Hiramatasu considers India and Japan taking up specific pilot projects in Africa, as a “good win-win situation”.
• On the civil nuclear agreement, signed between the two countries last year, the Ambassador articulated the hope that there would be discussion “in due course of time.”
• The roll out of GST have interested Japanese investors in India.