He thanked the Japanese government for expressing solidarity after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack claimed 26 lives and drew strong condemnation and support from Japan.
Singh commended Nakatani for his personal efforts to strengthen India-Japan defence ties. He credited the Japanese minister for earlier agreements on defence equipment and information protection.
Singh expressed confidence that under Nakatani's current leadership, the defence partnership would grow further. The meeting marked the second interaction between the two leaders in the last six months.
Their previous meeting took place during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. Gen Nakatani was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon his arrival in Delhi.
He also paid tribute at the National War Memorial by laying a wreath. The Ministry of Defence noted that India and Japan enjoy a longstanding friendship, strengthened in 2014 with the Special Strategic & Global Partnership.
Defence and security remain key pillars in the growing bilateral relationship. The Ministry added that shared views on regional peace and security are deepening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
