17-May-2023: Defence Secretary & US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy co-chair 17th India-US Defence Policy Group meeting in Washington DC
Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Dr Colin Kahl co-chaired the 17th meeting of India-US Defence Policy Group (DPG) in Washington DC on May 17, 2023. The meeting was cordial and productive. The two sides reviewed the progress made in furthering defence industrial cooperation and operationalising the India-US Major Defence Partnership. Important aspects such as military-to-military cooperation, implementation of foundational defence agreements, exercises and the ongoing & future cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean Region were discussed.
31-Mar-2023: 4th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting between India & Philippines held in New Delhi
4th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting between India and the Philippines was held in New Delhi on March 31, 2023. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence Shri Amitabh Prasad, while the Philippines delegation was headed by Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs, Department of National Defence Mr Pablo M Lorenzo.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and discussed effective and practical initiatives to further expand the engagements. The co-chairs reaffirmed their commitment to implement 2006 agreement concerning defence cooperation, based on mutual trust and understanding, common interest and shared values of democracy and rule of law.
Both sides agreed to initiate measures to enhance cooperation in Defence Industry and Technology domain and look forward to greater synergy in effectively deepening bilateral cooperative engagements across the spectrum. They discussed cooperation in multilateral forums and noted complementarities in their approaches to the Indo-Pacific region and decided to hold regular consultations on issues of mutual interest. The interest and enthusiasm towards strengthening the bilateral relations across sectors were appreciated.
19-Mar-2023: 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India & the Maldives held in Male
India and the Maldives conducted the 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue (DCD) in Male on March 19, 2023. The dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and his Maldivian counterpart, Chief of Defence Force, Maldives National Defence Forces Major General Abdulla Shamaal.
This DCD is the highest institutionalised interactive mechanism between the two countries. Its significance in chartering the future course of relations between both the Armed Forces was highlighted by the importance given to the talks by the two nations. During the interaction, ongoing bilateral defence cooperation activities were reviewed and both sides expressed satisfaction at the increasing engagements. The talks covered the existing bilateral exercises, with both countries agreeing to increase the complexity of these drills.
The Armed Forces of India & the Maldives continue to seek bilateral cooperation in multiple fields and the increased engagements are a positive sign for the future of bilateral relations. Shri Giridhar Aramane thanked Major General Abdulla Shamaal and his delegation for a fruitful dialogue and stated that India looks forward to continued engagement based on the common understanding reached at the 4th DCD.