India and Japan Held 2+2 Dialogue

On 06 July2010 India and Japan held bilateral dialogue in New Delhi which is named as 2+2 dialogue. This was the first 2+2 dialogue between India and Japan. Under this dialogue India and Japan discussed the need of greater cooperation while combating major problems like sea piracy and terrorism. India and Japan also discussed the possibility of bilateral civil nuclear pact between them. India and Japan also held foreign office consultations on this date.

Sea Piracy; To combat sea piracy India and Japan decided to hold bilateral naval exercises and to increase cooperation between the coastal guards of India and Japan.

Terrorism; To counter the threat of terrorism India and Japan agreed to hold the next meeting of the India-Japan Joint Working Group in August 2010. The meeting would be third in the series. Japan is also likely to train intelligence officials of India to deal with the problem of terrorism.
Besides, these agreements it was decided during this dialogue to hold the meeting of the foreign ministers of G-4 with South Africa as special invitee in New York in September 2010. The meeting will aim at to form unity to press for Security Council reforms. G-4 includes India, Japan, Germany and Brazil. All these nations along with South Africa want permanent membership in Security Council.

India and Japan agreed to hold the next round of the India Japan 2+2 dialogue in Tokyo in 2011.

• Japan maintains such dialogue framework with other nations like USA and Australia.
• The decision to start this kind of dialogue between India and Japan was taken during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to India in December 2009. He had come to participate in the India-Japan Annual Summit.
• India-Japan dialogue was named as 2+2 dialogue because foreign and defence secretaries from both sides participated in the dialogue.
• India has signed bilateral nuclear pacts with nine countries which, includes France, Canada, Russia and the US.

The 2+2 dialogue is important because until now Japan had opposed any nuclear cooperation or related co-operations with India as it had strongly opposed India’s nuclear policy. Japan maintains 2+2 dialogue with only USA and Australia besides India. It indicates Japan’s foreign policy change towards India. During Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in the end of 2010, India is likely to finalise the civil nuclear pact with Japan.