Rajnath Singh's visit strengthens defence relations with UK

Sports Friday 19/January/2024 08:10 AM
By: Agencies
Rajnath Singh's visit strengthens defence relations with UK

London: India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the United Kingdom on January 8, marking a significant step in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The visit was important because the delegation included eminent figures from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Service Headquarters, the Department of Defence itself, and the Department of Defence Production.

Notably, a previous visit planned for June 2022 was postponed by India for undisclosed reasons, adding further anticipation to this engagement.

Rajnath Singh was given full Guard of Honour at the Horse Guards Parade grounds in London.

There was a special parade by the British Army's Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards and the Band of the Irish Guards.

The regiments represented on parade are among the most historic in the British Army. Ceremonial welcomes of this nature are considered special and memorable moments of high honour from one nation to another.

Following the ceremony, Rajnath Singh and his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, retired to the Ministry of Defence to discuss shared future military commitments and joint training opportunities.

The two leaders also reviewed the full range of India-UK defence relations.

"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," Singh wrote on X.

During the meeting, Shapps stressed that the India-UK relationship is not transactional, instead both countries are natural partners with many commonalities and shared goals.

Singh, meanwhile, noted with appreciation the growing strategic convergence between the two countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The bilateral defence meeting was followed by the signing of two agreements between India and the UK, an MoU on the conduct of bilateral international cadet exchange programme, and a Letter of Arrangement between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on defence collaboration in research and development, as per a release issued by the Defence Ministry.

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.

 Notably, this marks the first visit of a sitting Indian Defence Minister to the UK in 23 years.

The UK and India also vowed to continue strengthening ties during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to the country. This comes as the first visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the UK in more than 20 years.

In a move that signals the growing importance of the strategic relationship between the UK and India, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps welcomed Singh to the UK to agree on unprecedented levels of UK-India defence cooperation, according to an official release.

The two nations also discussed future cooperation in defence from joint exercises to knowledge sharing and instructor exchanges. These steps build on the comprehensive strategic partnership envisaged in the 2030 India-UK roadmap, announced in 2021.

In the coming years, the UK and India will also embark on more complex exercises between their respective militaries, building up to a landmark joint exercise to be conducted before the end of 2030, supporting shared goals of protecting critical trade routes and upholding the international rules-based system, as per the release.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Shapps said: "There is absolutely no question that the world is becoming increasingly contested, so it's vital that we continue to build on our strategic relationships with key partners like India. Together we share the same security challenges and are steadfast on our commitment to maintaining a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific."

Rajnath Singh called on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London.