New Delhi, 27 December (HS). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Chiefs of the three services, and Defence Secretary visited friendly countries in 2024 with the aim of strengthening defence relations. The defence minister met his counterparts in the US, Russia, UK, China, Laos, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands this year. The Ministry of Defence also took defence cooperation with its friendly countries to the next level through military exercises.
The defence minister started foreign visits this year from the UK. He made an official visit to London, United Kingdom, from 09 to 10 January. He held a bilateral meeting with UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in London to discuss various matters of defence, security, and cooperation, with a special emphasis on enhancing defence industrial cooperation. He also met the then UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The talks noted that the countries have made significant progress in reshaping historical ties into a modern, multifaceted, and mutually beneficial partnership.
The Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren, in New Delhi on 23 February. The two ministers discussed the possibilities of expanding their bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in the maritime and industrial sectors. They noted the growing interaction between the two navies and expressed their desire to work together to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted Japanese Defence Minister Kihara Minoru and Foreign Minister Ms. Yoko Kamikawa for the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on 20 August. During the 2 plus 2 talks, a bilateral meeting was held between the defence minister and his Japanese counterpart. They reviewed the existing defence cooperation activities and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on a visit to the US from 23 to 26 August. He met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. During this, the two ministers held extensive discussions on bilateral defence cooperation, industrial cooperation, regional security, and other international issues. The defence minister also met Jake Sullivan, US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
The Defence Minister and the Singapore Defence Minister co-chaired the 6th India-Singapore Defence Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on 22 October. The two ministers acknowledged the deep and long-standing bilateral defence ties based on a shared vision of regional peace, stability, and security.
The Defence Minister addressed the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 21 November. He reiterated India's stand for a rules-based international order for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and advocated Buddhist principles of peaceful coexistence for global peace. On this occasion, the defence minister met Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun and emphasised that cordial relations between India and China will have a positive impact for global peace and prosperity. He also met US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin on the sidelines of the meeting, and both sides recognised the significant progress made under the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
The defence minister also met his counterparts from Malaysia, Laos, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. After this, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on a visit to Russia from 08 to 10 December. He co-chaired the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. The defence minister discussed various issues of bilateral defence cooperation in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
