Finance
On Sunday, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met with the Defence Ministers of New Zealand and Singapore on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue. The discussions focused on boosting bilateral ties, improving marine cooperation, and promoting information-sharing systems.
The Ministry of Defence published details of the meeting, saying, “The engagements focused on strengthening bilateral defence ties, enhancing maritime cooperation, advancing information-sharing mechanisms, and reaffirming a shared commitment to a secure, stable, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.”
The Shangri-La Dialogue, which is taking place in Singapore, will include plenary talks conducted by government ministers as well as key possibilities for bilateral conversations between delegations.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, Rajesh Kumar Singh met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Saturday at the Istana reception held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, with talks focusing on further strengthening bilateral strategic ties and advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Singh also met with Peter Sandwall, Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister of Defence, to examine opportunities to deepen defense cooperation and extend engagement in sectors like as technology and innovation between the two countries.
“Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh interacted with State Secretary to the Minister of Defence, Sweden Peter Sandwall. Discussions focused on strengthening India-Sweden defence engagement and exploring opportunities for enhanced bilateral defence cooperation, including in the domain of defence technology and innovation,” the Ministry of Defence said.
Singh met with the Netherlands’ Chief of Defence, General Onno Eichelsheim, to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral defence ties, including as military exchange programmes and cooperative training activities.
Rajesh Kumar Singh also met with Belen Martinez Carbonell, the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, and Lieutenant General Enrico Barduani, Deputy Chair of the European Union Military Committee (DCEUMC).
According to the Defence Ministry, the conference advanced strategic conversation between India and the European Union, with discussions centered on shared security objectives and opportunities to strengthen defence and strategic collaboration.
Continuing his bilateral engagement, Singh also held talks with Netherland’s Defence Minister, Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, exploring ways to deepen military cooperation and expand collaboration in the defence industrial sector, underscoring the evolving strategic partnership between the two countries.
Sharing the details of the meeting on X, Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, posted: “Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh interacted with Defence Minister, Netherlands Dilan Yeşilgoz-Zegerius. The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral Defence cooperation, strengthening military-to-military ties, and exploring opportunities for defence industrial collaboration, reflecting the growing strategic partnership between India and the Netherlands.”
Singh also met with his Australian counterpart, Meghan Quinn, where the two sides reviewed the progress of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discussed upcoming high-level engagements. Both sides also explored opportunities to enhance defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
“Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held bilateral discussions with Australian Defence Secretary Ms Meghan Quinn. Both sides reviewed the progress of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, discussed forthcoming high-level engagements, and explored avenues to further strengthen defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, posted on X.
Source: IANS
