Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday arrived in Germany to discuss advancing defence cooperation between the two nations. India's Ambassador to Germany, Ajit Gupte, received him at the Munich Airport. "The visit is significant for advancing India-Germany defence cooperation, with focus on industrial collaboration, military engagement and emerging areas such as cyber, AI and drones," the Indian Embassy in Germany said in a post on X.
During his visit, Rajnath Singh is set to hold talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, and other senior leaders of the government. Discussions will focus on increasing defence-industrial collaboration, strengthening military-to-military engagements, and exploring opportunities in emerging sectors like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and drones, according to the Ministry of Defence.
A Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training are likely to be signed in the presence of both ministers. "The visit will provide an opportunity to review the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new avenues for collaboration between the defence industries of both countries.
Shri Rajnath Singh is also expected to interact with key representatives of the German defence industry, with a view to promoting joint development and co-production under the Make-in-India initiative," the Ministry of Defence statement said. The last visit to Germany by any Indian Defence Minister was in 2019, when then-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the European nation.
Pistorius had travelled to India in June 2023 and held talks with Rajnath Singh. "India and Germany share a strong and multifaceted strategic partnership, anchored in democratic values, the rule of law, and a shared commitment to a rule-based international order.
Defence and security cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of this partnership in recent years. The objective of the visit is to further deepen bilateral ties and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity," the Ministry of Defence statement said.