First Indo-Japan army-to-army talks start

With an aim of increasing military cooperation, the first army to army staff-level talks between India and Japan began here today.

"During the talks, the two sides will discuss their mutual security issues along with institutionalising the annual calendar of the exchanges between them in the coming year," army officials said here.

The Japanese delegation for the talks is led by their director general for policy and programmes Major General Voichiro Bansho.

The talks signify the increasing cooperation between the two countries during which they will also discuss the present ties and look at the ways of enhancing it, they added.

The army holds such parleys with nine other countries including Australia, Malaysia and England. 

Though differences on the CTBT and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) still persist between New Delhi and Tokyo, military ties between the two countries have been increasing in the recent past.

The Japanese navy warships have participated in the Indo-US Malabar series of naval exercises in the Pacific ocean in the recent past. 

The two sides also agreed on an action plan during Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's visit last year. 

The action plan aims at holding regular meetings between the defence ministers, annual official-level defence policy dialogue, annual military-to-military talks, regular reciprocal visits of the service chiefs and ground-to-ground staff talks, navy-to-navy staff talks, and developing an annual calendar of defence cooperation and exchanges.