Defence secretary co-chairs HDC meeting in Berlin to strengthen defence ties with focus on high-technology
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on February 27, co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee (HDC) meeting in Berlin with the State Secretary Benedikt Zimmer of the German Ministry of Defence. This meeting marked a significant step in strengthening the defence cooperation between the two nations, with a special emphasis on advancing collaboration in high technology within the defence sector.
The discussions during the HDC meeting revolved around various aspects of bilateral security and defence, underlining the development of defence cooperation as a fundamental element of the Strategic Partnership shared between India and Germany. The discussed topics were the regional security landscape, plans for potential joint exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, and the exploration of proposed defence industrial projects.
A notable highlight of the meeting was the mutual recognition of the importance of forging a closer defence partnership and fostering connectivity between the defence industries of both countries. The focus on collaboration in high technology within the defence sector was from the view to leverage innovation for mutual benefit.
Bharat Bhushan Babu, spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of Defence, speaking on the significance of the meeting, wrote in a tweet, “Strengthening ties: Defence Secretary @giridhararamane and Germany’s State Secretary, Mr. Benedikt Zimmer, co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee meeting in Berlin, fostering deeper collaboration in security and defence realms.”
India and Germany have a longstanding diplomatic relationship dating back to 1952, with both countries having defence cooperation agreements that serve as the foundation for their bilateral defence ties. These ties have been further solidified through regular high-level engagements, the most recent being India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s meeting with the German Foreign Minister during his visit to Germany for the Munich Security Conference on February 16.
“A wide ranging discussion with German Foreign Minister @ABaerbock. Focused on climate action and SDGs, bilaterally and globally,” S. Jaishankar said in a tweet post meeting.
The HDC meeting followed the visit of German Federal Minister of Defence Mr. Boris Pistorius to India in 2023, showcasing the continued efforts to enhance defence collaboration. Giridhar Aramane also engaged with the German Institute of International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik – SWP) in Berlin, further underlining the commitment to deepening ties and exchanging perspectives on international security issues.