Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and his UK counterpart Vernon Coaker on Friday reviewed the ongoing defence engagements and discussed ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries.They held a meeting here on the sidelines of the visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to India.
“During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing defence engagements and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation between India and the United Kingdom,” an official statement said.
The meeting came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer held wide-ranging discussions in the financial capital.
Seth noted that the UK CSG, led by HMS Prince of Wales, successfully completed the sea phase of Exercise Konkan with the Indian Navy off the western coast of India. The CSG is currently engaged in the harbour phase activities in Mumbai and Goa.
He emphasised that such operational interactions enhance mutual understanding of operational philosophies and significantly contribute to interoperability between the two navies.
During the meeting, both ministers reviewed various facets of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed India’s growing capabilities in manufacturing equipment and development of indigenous systems, bolstering ‘aatmanirbharata’ (self-reliance).
“They (the two countries) reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the ties in all spheres, including collaboration and opportunities in Global Defence Supply Chains. They also reiterated their commitment to strengthen maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region in support of a free, open and rules-based world order to ensure freedom of navigation,” the statement said.