Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Germany for 3 days to boost defence ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a visit to Germany from April 21 to 23, to strengthen the strategic defence partnership between the two countries. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius and other senior government leaders.

The discussions will focus on expanding Defence industrial collaboration and enhancing military-to-military engagement. Both sides are expected to explore cooperation in emerging areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and drone technologies.

Key agreements, including a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and an implementing arrangement on cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations training, are likely to be signed during the visit.

Review ongoing defence cooperation

The trip will also provide an opportunity to review ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new areas for collaboration between the defence industries of India and Germany.

Singh is expected to engage with leading representatives of the German defence sector to promote joint development and co-production under India’s Make-in-India initiative.

This marks the first visit by an Indian defence minister to Germany in seven years. The previous visit was undertaken by Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2019. Notably, Pistorius visited India in June 2023, where he held extensive discussions with Rajnath Singh, laying the groundwork for deeper cooperation.

India-Germany ties

India and Germany share a strong and multifaceted strategic partnership, rooted in democratic values and a shared commitment to a rules-based international order.

Defence and security cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of this relationship in recent years. The visit is expected to further deepen bilateral ties and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.