Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral meetings with his US and German counterparts Lloyd Austin and Boris Pistorius in New Delhi, next week. According to the statement released by the Ministry of Defence, the meeting will focus on enhancing defence cooperation between India, US and Germany. Singh will hold bilateral talks with the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on June 5, 2023, and a day later he will discuss defence cooperation with German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius on June 6.
“US Secretary of Defence Mr Lloyd Austin and German Minister of Defence Mr Boris Pistorius are visiting New Delhi for bilateral talks with Rakha Mantri (Defence Minister) Rajnath Singh,” the press release reads. The Ministry of Defense also stated that Singh will discuss a host of bilateral defence cooperation issues with the two foreign diplomats. The meetings will also focus on industrial cooperation. “A host of bilateral defence cooperation issues, with a focus on industrial cooperation are likely to be discussed during the two meetings,” the statement further reads.
German Defence Minister to witness India’s prowess
Boris Pistorius, the German Defence Minister, will be on a four-day visit to India which will commence from June 5. Pistorius is arriving from Indonesia and will take part in a plethora of events. After the bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart, Pistorius is expected to meet a few defence startups during an event organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). On June 7, the German official will also travel to Mumbai where is expected to visit Western Naval Command and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of Defence will arrive on June 4 from Singapore for a two-day visit to India. This will be Austin’s second visit to India, the first one being in March 2021. Austin’s visit to New Delhi is coming ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June. The Indian premier will be on a state visit from June 22, at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.
