[JulietOreira]

In a first, India and Japan will hold a bilateral naval exercise off the coast of Tokyo starting June 9.

Four Indian warships including the INS Rana, INS Shakti and INS Shivalik are in Tokyo harbour to commemorate 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between two countries and while coming from there, they will hold basic bilateral exercises with Japanese self-defence force, Navy officials said in New Dlhi.

The two-day-exercise will be held after the Indian warships start exiting Tokyo after a four-day port call.

Japan had in 2007 taken part in Malabar series of naval drills involving Indian and US warships in the Pacific Ocean.

The decision to hold the bilateral exercise was taken during the 6th India–Japan Strategic Dialogue held in April between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba.

The two countries have also decided to enhance cooperation in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and launch a maritime dialogue mechanism.

The warships of the two navies have started coordinated patrolling in the Gulf of Aden to be able to escort a larger number of cargo vessels passing through the troubled waters there.