Defence Street

Category: Foreign Affairs

  • India- Africa Joint Military Exercise ‘Afindex-23’ Concluded at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune

    India- Africa Joint Military Exercise ‘Afindex-23’ Concluded at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune

    New Delhi, 29th March, 2023. The 2nd edition of joint military exercise “The Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-2023)” culminated on 29th March at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune. AFINDEX-2023 was held from 16 to 29 Mar 2023. A total of 25 nations of the African continent with 124 participants and Indian troops from the SIKH, MARATHA and MAHAR Regiments participated in the multinational exercise. The validation phase of the exercise was witnessed by General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff along all the African Chiefs and representatives who attended the Chiefs’ Conclave.

    Aim of the exercise was to build positive military relations, imbibe each other’s best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking execution of Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations under the UN mandate. This joint exercise will enable the armies to learn and adopt methodologies and tactics while conducting such operations. Further, the exercise will assist the forces in correct interpretation of Rules of Engagements while undertaking Peace Keeping Operations.

    The bonhomie, espirit-de-corps and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the bonds between the armies by enabling understanding of each other’s organisation and methodology of conducting various operations. This exercise is a harbinger for greater cooperation between Indian & African armies in the future.

    On the sidelines of the exercise an ‘Equipment Display’ was organized in which 75 indigenous products from 32 industries manufactured under ‘Make in India’ were showcased. African Army Chiefs, representatives of Chiefs and participants of the African nations also witnessed the event.

  • Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and his Romanian counterpart Mrs Simona Cojocaru hold bilateral talks

    Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and his Romanian counterpart Mrs Simona Cojocaru hold bilateral talks

    New Delhi, 28th March, 2023. Defence Secretary, Shri Giridhar Aramane and State Secretary and Chief of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations of Romania, Mrs Simona Cojocaru held a bilateral meeting on defence cooperation in New Delhi on March 28, 2023. A wide range of issues encompassing military to military cooperation, military training and courses, defence co-development and co-production and capacity building were discussed in the meeting.

    Both countries signed an Agreement on Defence Cooperation, giving further impetus to bilateral defence cooperation. Both sides shared their perspectives on regional security challenges and expressed their commitment to work together to enhance cooperation in all defence sectors.

  • India will continue to work with African nations to promote regional security, stability & enhance defence capabilities, says Raksha Mantri during 1st India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave in Pune

    India will continue to work with African nations to promote regional security, stability & enhance defence capabilities, says Raksha Mantri during 1st India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave in Pune

    • Reiterates support to partner-countries in all defence-related matters
    • Shri Rajnath Singh invites African companies to explore Indian defence equipment & technologies to fulfill their security needs
    • “India-Africa ties drive South-South cooperation to build a multi-polar world order, more responsive to the aspirations of developing countries”

    New Delhi, 28th March, 2023. India will continue to work with African nations to promote regional security, foster stability and enhance the defence capabilities together. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during the first edition of India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave organised on the sidelines of 2nd Africa-India Joint Exercise ‘AFINDEX’ in Pune, Maharashtra on March 28, 2023. The Conclave was attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and Chiefs & representatives of 31 African nations, along with other civil and defence dignitaries.

    Shri Rajnath Singh reiterated India’s commitment to provide support to African partner-countries in all defence related matters, including capability enhancement of their Armed Forces, to ensure their economic growth and social development. He emphasised that the full potential of a nation’s progress can be realised only when its security is ensured.

    “We believe that preservation of individual human rights such as the right to life and personal liberty, right to employment, right to livelihood, etc. are dependent on a strong and effective state apparatus which can ensure the Rule of Law as well as promote economic growth & social development. Development can only take place in a safe and secure environment. Though many of us have come a long way since our independence, there are many African countries where the capacity building of state systems is still a work in progress,” the Raksha Mantri said, while emphasising the need to build robust state structures which can cater to the needs and aspirations of the people.

    India has been at the forefront of providing training to the Armed Forces of African nations and equipping them with necessary skills to face the security challenges of the 21st century. The training programmes cover a wide range of areas, including counter-insurgency operations, peacekeeping, maritime security and specialised training in new domains such as cyber warfare and drone operations. It also encompasses training civilians in areas such as disaster management, humanitarian aid and medical assistance. A large number of African Countries’ Armed Forces personnel continue to visit India for training in different areas.

    The Raksha Mantri added that the Joint Exercises between India and African nations provide an excellent opportunity for the Armed Forces to learn from each other and promote interoperability. He termed ‘AFINDEX’ as a reflection of India’s continued focus on African nations to develop capacities and enhance mutual capabilities. “As maritime neighbours linked by the Indian Ocean, our cooperation in maritime security & hydrography and countering terrorism & extremism will be essential for regional peace and prosperity,” he said.

    Shri Rajnath Singh described capacity building in terms of defence equipment and platforms as another critical aspect of India’s military cooperation with its Africa partners. He invited the African countries to explore Indian defence equipment and technologies to fulfill their security needs. “India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years. A defence manufacturing ecosystem has been created here which has the advantage of abundant technical manpower. The Indian defence industry can work with you to fulfil your defence requirements. With the aim to empower our African friends to indigenously meet their defence requirements, we are also committed to sharing our expertise and knowledge in defence manufacturing, research and development,” he said.

    Elaborating further on the India-Africa ties, the Raksha Mantri stated that “we are united by the common goals of eradicating poverty, achieving sustainable development, promoting peace & harmony and improving the quality of life of the people.” He added that this partnership drives the South-South cooperation to build a truly multi-polar world order which is more responsive to the aspirations of developing countries.

    Shri Rajnath Singh pointed out that the people of India and Africa together represent a third of humanity, a demographic dividend which has to be used wisely. He called for turning this huge human resource into an engine of growth and development. “Many African nations have the fastest rate of growth of population in the world. As per some projections, by 2050, there would be one African, out of every four people in the world. Therefore, if humanity has to develop, Africa has to develop. Today, Africa is today home to more than a billion vibrant people, with more than two thirds of them under the age of 35. If this human capital is supported with the right opportunities, it will become the growth engine for not just Africa, but also for the entire world,” he added.

    The Raksha Mantri described relative technological backwardness as one of the most important causes holding the developing world from high economic growth rates. Stating that new and emerging technologies provide an opportunity to leapfrog this gap, he extended India’s expertise in digital and clean & green technologies for the benefit of African nations. He made special mention of India’s achievement of financial inclusion of the entire citizenry through Unified Payment Interface (UPI), describing it as a Financial Revolution. He also stressed that the exchange of ideas and practices will be two-way and India is keen to learn from the experiences of its African friends.

    The India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave was structured on the central theme of ‘Africa-India Militaries for Regional Unity – AMRUT’. It was aimed to strengthen and improve synergy between militaries of India and African nations as part of regional cooperation mechanism.

    The Conclave focussed on joint training and defence cooperation amongst the nations to evolve an institutionalised framework in order to enhance collaboration in the fields of joint military training, execution of peacekeeping operations; besides promoting Indian defence industries. It is a major landmark in deep-rooted defence ties between India and African nations, thereby enhancing regional cooperation.