On Tuesday, India and the UK signed agreements on defence collaboration in research and development and a bilateral cadet exchange program.
The deals were signed after Indian Defence Minister (DM) Rajnath Singh’s bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Grant Shapps in London.
Bilateral Defence Meeting
“The meeting was very warm with a fruitful exchange of ideas on both sides,” a government release after the meeting said.
The two ministers held discussions on defence, security, and cooperation matters with a special focus on enhancing defence-industrial collaboration.
Had an excellent meeting with UK Defence Minister, Mr. Grant Shapps. We reviewed the full range of India-UK defence relations. We had fruitful discussions on a wide range of issues pertaining to defence cooperation, security and also on enhancing defence industrial cooperation. pic.twitter.com/fzJqhm6PcX
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 9, 2024
Shapps mentioned that instead of the India-UK relationship being transactional, the two countries are “natural partners with many commonalities and shared goals.”
Meanwhile, Singh was pleased with the increasing strategic alignment of the two nations, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
Agreement on Cadet Exchange, Defence Collaboration
Following the meeting, India and the UK signed two agreements.
An MoU on the conduct of a bilateral international cadet exchange programme was signed. Ministry of Defence spokesperson A. Bharat Bhushan Babu tweeted that the agreement is “a significant step towards fostering people-to-people exchanges and advancing joint defence research efforts.”
Additionally, a Letter of Arrangement was signed between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on defence collaboration in research and development.
“These documents will provide impetus to the people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the youth, and larger area of defence research collaboration between the two countries,” the release stated.
Rajnath Singh in the UK
Singh arrived in London late on 8 January. He began his engagements on Tuesday by paying floral tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at Tavistock Square.
The day of the tribute coincided with the date of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which is celebrated to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to Mumbai in 1915.
Rajnath was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Horse Guards Parade Ground before he met with Shapps.
He also visited the Ambedkar Museum and the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in London.
Delighted to visit the Ambedkar Museum in London today.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 9, 2024
Babasaheb Ambedkar strived for a society based on equality and justice. He inspired many generations from his thought provoking ideas and vision. I bow to him for his tremendous contribution. pic.twitter.com/RxOWKK8g5C
During his tour, the Indian DM is anticipated to meet Foreign Minister David Cameron and UK PM Rishi Sunak.
Senior representatives from DRDO, Service Headquarters, the Department of Defence, and the Department of Defence Production accompanied him as part of a high-level delegation from the Indian Defence Ministry.
Singh had previously intended to travel to the UK in June 2022, but the Indian side cancelled the trip for protocol reasons.
This is the first Indian DM visit to the UK in twenty-two years. The last such visit to the UK was when George Fernandes travelled there in January 2002.