Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan will also visit the Hiroshima Peace Park and lay wreaths in remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Sunday night left for Japan on an official visit. This visit aims to enhance the strong defence ties between the two nations, underscoring the growing importance of India-Japan Defence Cooperation.

General Anil Chauhan will hold interactions with senior military leadership of Japan and will visit defence formations and establishments.

The key highlights of the tour include a call-on with the Minister of Defence, Minoru Kihara, and a meeting with Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defence Forces, General Yoshida Yoshihide.

In addition, General Anil Chauhan will be interacting with Commissioner of Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) Fukasawa Masaki, and also with Vice President of National Institute of Defence Studies (NIDS), Japan Major General Adachi Yoshiki.

The CDS will interact with the Faculty and Research Scholars at NIDS and also visit military establishments. The meetings and interactions will be aimed to foster mutual understanding, exchanging views on regional security, contribution towards strengthening bilateral defence cooperation as well as cooperation in the field of defence equipment and technology.

He is also scheduled to visit Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) units and also undertake interactions with the Commander-in-Chief Self Defence Fleet at Funakoshi JMSDF Base.

General Anil Chauhan will also visit the Hiroshima Peace Park and lay wreaths in remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima. He will pay special tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Hiroshima.

In 2023, India and Japan mark 71 years of diplomatic ties, with this visit highlighting the commitment of both nations to reinforce their special Strategic and Global Partnership.