Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI:Reviewing ongoing defence and industrial cooperation and discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral military ties, India and the United Kingdom on August 21 held the 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting in New Delhi.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the meeting with Jeremy Pocklington, Permanent Under Secretary for Defence of the UK.
The two sides reviewed ongoing defence industrial cooperation, with a focus on research and development under the India-UK Vision 2035 and the 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap. India and the UK also agreed to expand bilateral engagement between their armed forces through joint exercises, training and capacity-building initiatives. The two sides acknowledged their strong maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including the establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
The defence secretaries exchanged views on regional peace and security and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual security and strategic autonomy. They also reiterated that the IndiaUK Strategic Partnership is based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom and mutual respect. The meeting marked Pocklington’s first visit to India in his capacity as the UK’s Permanent Under Secretary for Defence.
During his visit, Pocklington laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation. He also visited Gandhi Smriti Museum and the National Defence College in New Delhi. Pocklington also held a bilateral interaction with Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani. The visit underscored the longstanding defence partnership between India and the UK and the regular exchange of views between the two countries on matters of mutual interest.
