India, Japan call for concerted global action against Pakistan-based terror groups, name LeT and JeM
At the 16th Annual Summit in New Delhi, PMs Modi and Takaichi called for coordinated action against Pakistan-backed terror networks while expanding defence and Indo-Pacific security cooperation
India and Japan have issued a joint directive calling for immediate, "concerted actions" against Pakistan-based terror networks, specifically naming globally proscribed outfits Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), alongside their various regional proxies.
The strong-worded declaration was a centerpiece of the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit held at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, following comprehensive high-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Uncompromising stance on cross-border terror
A joint statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revealed that both leaders "unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan."
The document put out an urgent need to dismantle the logistical, financial, and political infrastructure backing these outfits. Moving beyond broad generalities, the two major Asian democracies specifically demanded accountability for major acts of regional terror, including a direct reference to the November 2025 terrorist attack in Delhi and previous incursions in Jammu & Kashmir.
More from India“The Prime Ministers called for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of these reprehensible acts to be brought to justice without any delay,” the joint communique read, noting with concern the evolving names and fronts under which these groups operate, such as The Resistance Front (TRF), which was flagged by the United Nations Security Council Monitoring Team.
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Strategic shift in Japan’s security outlook
While Tokyo has traditionally focused its regional security priorities on East Asia, primarily navigating challenges related to North Korea's missile programs and maritime posturing in the South and East China Seas, this statement signals a deepening commitment to India’s core security anxieties.
Prime Minister Takaichi, making her inaugural official visit to India since taking office, emphasised that the security of the Indo-Pacific region is entirely indivisible. In a joint press brief, PM Modi warmly referred to Takaichi as his "chhoti behen" (younger sister), celebrating the "strategic convergence and absolute trust" developing between the two nations.
Expanding the defence matrix
Beyond the counter-terrorism mandate, the 16th summit yielded sweeping agreements designed to counter broader authoritarian assertions in Asia:
- The two nations reached an agreement in principle on the technical specifications of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (Unicorn) project for the Indian Navy, marking a significant step forward in defense technology transfers under the "Make in India" initiative.
- Building on the success of the recent JIMEX naval exercises, both sides committed to expanding satellite-based maritime domain awareness, naval maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) cooperation.
- Without naming Beijing explicitly, the joint statement noted "serious concern" regarding unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force or coercion in the South and East China Seas, while strongly opposing economic coercion and arbitrary export restrictions on critical minerals.
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