Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India and African countries are important stakeholders in ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment, especially in the Indian Ocean Region. He also said the two sides work together in many regional mechanisms to adddress common challenges.
Stressing on the growing ties between India and Africa, Rajnath said India does not believe in a "hierarchical world order" where a few countries are considered superior to others.
India's international relations are guided by the essence of human equality and dignity which is a part of its ancient ethos. The defence minister made these remarks while addressing the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The dialogue successfully brought out various aspects of the IADD’s theme ‘Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’. He highlighted that India and Africa share a robust partnership, which is based on the cooperative framework of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region), drawn upon the ancient ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is One Family).
He invited African countries to explore Indian defence equipment and technologies, stating that India has emerged as a leading defence exporter in recent years.
Later, the Gandhinagar Declaration was adopted as an outcome document of IADD 2022. It proposes to enhance cooperation in the field of training in all areas of mutual interest by increasing training slots and deputation of training teams, empowerment and capability building of the defence forces of Africa, participation in exercises and humanitarian assistance during natural disasters.
India offered fellowship for experts from African countries through Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis.
Fifty African countries, including 20 Defence Ministers, seven Chiefs of Defence Staff and eight Permanent Secretaries participated in the Dialogue attesting to the high priority accorded to India-Africa engagement in defence and security.
On the sidelines of the IADD, Rajnath held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Rwanda, Armenia and the Maldives.