India-Japan Relations: Trends and Prospects

By Sanjana Joshi

According to B. Raman , the use of the term strategic generally has two connotations. Firstly, it is a long-term relationship with a common vision and shared interests and concerns and not a tactical, short-term or fire-fighting relationship. Secondly, the national security of the two countries forms an important component of the bilateral relationship. High-level political contacts between India and Japan in recent years have produced a multitude of political documents:
• Joint Statement Towards Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership (December 2006)
• Joint Statement On the Roadmap for New Dimensions to the Strategic and Global Partnership between Japan and India (August 2007)
• Joint Statement on the Advancement of the Strategic and Global Partnership between Japan and India (October 2008)
• Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India (October 2008)
• Joint Statement by Prime Minister Dr. Yukio Hatoyama and
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh: New Stage of Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership (December 2009)
• Joint Statement on the Vision for Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership in the Next Decade (October 2010)
• Vision for the Enhancement of India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership upon entering the year of the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations (December 2011)

Detailed Paper

(Sanjana Joshi is a Senior Consultant with the Japan Project at ICRIER, New Delhi.)