Defence Ministers of African nations to attend India - Africa Defence Dialogue at DefExpo 2022, Gandhinagar
17 Oct 2022 11:12:11
New Delhi, Oct 17: On the sidelines of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will host the Defence Ministers of African Nations during the India - Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) on Oct 18. The broad theme of the dialogue is ‘India-Africa: Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’.
India and Africa share close and historical ties. India’s approach towards Africa is guided by the Kampala Principles enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. India’s engagement rests on African priorities as outlined by Africans themselves.
The first-ever India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in conjunction with DefExpo on Feb 06, 2020. A Joint Declaration - ‘Lucknow Declaration’ - was adopted at the end of the conclave as an outcome document. Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) is the knowledge partner for the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.
In continuance of the ‘Lucknow Declaration’ and in consultation with stakeholders, IAAD has been institutionalized to be held once every two years on the sidelines of DefExpo. The IADD will explore new areas of convergence for mutual engagement, including in areas like capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter terrorism.