New Delhi, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : India and Morocco have taken a significant step to enhance their defense cooperation with the inaugural meeting of the Joint Defense Committee held on September 8 in New Delhi.
During this meeting, both nations engaged in detailed discussions on various key topics, including training and education, peacekeeping missions, military exercises, military medicine, cybersecurity, and the defense industry. The two sides expressed their commitment to further broaden the defense relationship between India and Morocco.
This meeting is particularly important as it comes ahead of the 70th anniversary of bilateral cooperation in 2027. It aims to provide new direction to their defense collaboration, which was institutionalized in September 2025 during a visit by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to Morocco, where a memorandum of understanding was signed.
Co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation in the Indian Ministry of Defense, and Brigadier General Abdelilah Athmani from Morocco, the meeting reviewed existing defense ties and explored new areas for future collaboration.
Officials from India’s defense department, the three armed forces, Integrated Defense Staff Headquarters, the Department of Defense Production, the Armed Forces Medical Services, the Defense Research and Development Organization, and the Ministry of External Affairs participated in the discussions. The focus included enhancing cooperation in military training and education.
Additionally, the meeting emphasized sharing experiences in United Nations peacekeeping operations, military exercises, and military medicine. Given the evolving security landscape, cybersecurity emerged as a crucial area for cooperation between the two countries.
Both sides discussed possibilities for sharing capabilities and expertise in the defense sector. Notably, the Moroccan delegation is visiting India from September 7 to 10. At the beginning of their trip, Brigadier General Athmani paid tribute to the nation’s brave soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. Following this, the delegation engaged with representatives from Indian defense industries at the Defense PSU building.
The delegation received firsthand insights into India’s rapidly developing defense manufacturing capabilities. Both countries agreed to explore cooperation in co-production, joint ventures, technology collaboration, maintenance, and sustaining military equipment.
The Moroccan delegation is also scheduled to visit the Army Hospital Research and Referral, where they will learn about India’s military medical system and the capabilities of the armed forces.
Leave a Comment