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The year saw Ministry of Defence take defence cooperation with its friendly countries to the next level through visits of the dignitaries and military exercises, a statement by the Ministry of Defence said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff, three Service Chiefs and Defence Secretary undertook visits to various nations with the aim to strengthen defence ties with them, the statement said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited US from August 23-26. He met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, during which the two Ministers held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral defence cooperation, industrial collaboration, regional security and other international issues. Singh also met the US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Jake Sullivan, as per the statement. Singh visited Russia from December 8-10. 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. Singh also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Both leaders discussed various issues of bilateral defence cooperation, and expressed that partnership between both countries holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave way for remarkable outcomes, as per the statement. Singh paid an official visit to London, United Kingdom from January 9-10. He held a bilateral meeting with UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps in London, and discussed a range of defence, security and cooperation matters with particular emphasis on enhancing defence industrial collaboration. He also called on the then Prime Minister of UK Rishi Sunak, highlighting that both nations have made significant strides in moulding and recrafting the historic ties into a modern, multifaceted and mutually beneficial partnership. Singh addressed the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) at Vientiane, Lao PDR on November 21. There, he reiterated India's stand for rule-based international order for peace and prosperity in Indo-Pacific, and pitched for Buddhist doctrines of peaceful co-existence for global peace. On the sidelines, Defence Minister met the Defence Minister of China Admiral Dong Jun and highlighted the fact that amicable relations between India and China, would have positive implications for global peace and prosperity, the statement said. He also met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin, with both sides recognising remarkable progress made under US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap. Raksha Mantri also met his Malaysian, Lao PDR, South Korean, Australian, New Zealand Philippines counterparts. Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa for the 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on August 20. On the sidelines of the 2+2 dialogue, a bilateral meeting was held between Raksha Mantri and his Japanese counterpart. They reviewed the existing defence cooperation activities and discussed ways to enhance further cooperation. Singh and Minister of Defence of Singapore co-chaired the sixth India-Singapore Defence Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on October 22. Both Ministers acknowledged the deep and long-standing bilateral defence relations based on shared outlook on regional peace, stability and security. Singh held a bilateral meeting with the Netherlands Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren in New Delhi on February 23. Both Ministers discussed the possibilities for expanding their bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in maritime and industrial domains. They noted the increased interaction between the two Navies and expressed keenness to work together to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. (ANI)
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