Rajnath Singh visits German shipyard; India, Germany sign key deals

During his Germany visit, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh toured the ThyssenKrupp shipyard and boarded a submarine. India and Germany also signed a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and a pact on UN Peacekeeping to boost strategic ties.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday visited the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) group shipyard in Germany. He boarded the Type 212 class submarine and was shown the capabilities of the submarine by the company officials. The Defence Minister is on a three-day official visit to Germany from April 21 to 23.

India, Germany Sign Key Defence Agreements

India and Germany signed and exchanged the Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and an Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Training here, marking a significant step forward in strengthening the strategic defence partnership between the two countries. The agreements were signed during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's three-day official visit to the European nation.

According to a release from the Ministry of Defence, the agreements are expected to strengthen institutional collaboration between the two sides and broaden opportunities for joint training, capacity building, and capability development in the defence sector. Singh and his German counterpart, the Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, were present during the agreement signing and exchange.

Bilateral Talks to Enhance Defence Cooperation

Earlier, both leaders held bilateral talks in Berlin, during which both sides reviewed a broad spectrum of bilateral security and defence cooperation, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, with a special focus on niche technologies. The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance military-to-military engagement as a key pillar of the bilateral Strategic Partnership.

"Delighted to meet Mr. Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defence, Germany in Berlin. Exchanged views on a wide range of issues including deepening our defence cooperation and tackling emerging geopolitical challenges. Witnessed signing of the Defence Industrial Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping," Singh stated in a post on X.

According to the release, the Defence Minister described his visit as a symbol of "deep friendship, synergy and trust", noting that India-Germany defence cooperation has gained considerable momentum in recent years, particularly following the assumption of office by the German Defence Minister. (ANI)

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