On the sidelines of Aero India 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conducted bilateral meetings with several international defence ministers, including Zimbabwe’s Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, Yemen’s Lt Gen Mohsen Mohammed Hussein Al Daeri, Ethiopia’s Aisha Mohammed, Gambia’s Sering Modou Njie, and Gabon’s Brigitte Onkanowa, in Bengaluru, today.

During his meeting with the Defence Minister of Zimbabwe, the two sides reviewed the current state of bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to collaborate in areas such as training, military courses, and capacity building for Zimbabwe’s Armed Forces. The leaders also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation and expressed confidence that it would lead to deeper ties. They highlighted the importance of consistent engagements between their Defence Ministries to ensure the MoU’s successful implementation and discussed further collaboration in military medicine.

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In the discussion with Ethiopia’s Defence Minister, both leaders expressed satisfaction with the growing defence ties and agreed to sign an MoU to formalise these connections. The MoU will facilitate cooperation in areas like military training, peacekeeping, and capacity building of Ethiopia’s Armed Forces. The Ministers also explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the defence industry, including the emerging role of India’s private sector in defence production.

With Yemen’s Defence Minister, the leaders focused on expanding engagements in military training and capacity building. They emphasised the need to continue deepening their defence cooperation and looked forward to furthering bilateral partnerships in these areas.

During the meeting with Gambia’s Defence Minister, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing defence collaboration, focusing on capacity building, capability enhancement, and sharing best practices for mutual benefit. They also recognized the vast potential for cooperation in the defence industry.

Lastly, in his meeting with the Defence Minister of Gabon, Singh and Brigitte Onkanowa discussed several issues related to bilateral defence cooperation, including training and capability enhancement of the Armed Forces. Both sides expressed interest in exploring potential collaboration in the defence industry.