India and Romania have taken a historic step in forging a deeper relationship between their respective armed forces with the signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement. The agreement, which covers diverse areas such as training, defence equipment, technical assistance, military medicine, science, technology, research and development, marks the first such accord between the two nations.
Signed during a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on March 28th between Romania’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Simona Cojocaru, and India’s Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, the agreement represents Romania’s special interest in enhancing bilateral dialogues with states in the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the EU Strategy for cooperation in this strategic and economically significant region.
Both countries are set to explore more areas for military cooperation through their respective ministries.
The State Secretary and Chief of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations of Romania, Simona Cojocaru, also highlighted that Romanian defence companies can join forces with the Indian industry based on commercial agreements for co-production, sublicense production, or joint venture. She added that Romanian private defence companies like Aerostar for Mig-21 maintenance activities have sound relations with their Indian counterparts.
Once the agreement enters into force, both parties will oversee its execution through a Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation, which will convene periodically in Romania and India. “It is important to underline that specific cooperation activities in the spheres outlined in the agreement shall be mutually determined by both Parties, according to their mutual interests and needs of cooperation,” said Cojocaru.
As India plays a pivotal role in defending a rules-based international order and fundamental democratic values, this Defence Cooperation Agreement with Romania marks a significant step towards strengthening global stability and security.
First ever Space Cooperation
Both countries are already working closely in the space sector. Financial Express Online has reported earlier that the National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli” (INCAS) is the European nation’s leading research establishment especially in aerospace sciences. This agency has a major player in the European Union’s policy making for R&D.
In an earlier interaction with Financial Express Online Eng Claudia Dobre – Director of Business Development had talked about the agency’s role in India’s Gaganyaan programme and also other areas of cooperation with Indian Space Research Organisation.
