GandhiNagar, 17th October 2022:

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar conducted a series of bilateral meetings with visiting dignitaries from friendly foreign countries prior to DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He held a bilateral meeting with Mr Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, State Minister for Defence, Sri Lanka. They discussed a host of ongoing and future defence cooperation issues.

The Defence Secretary also met Mr Devendre Gopaul, Permanent Secretary, Mauritius. A number of key bilateral, defence and maritime security issues were deliberated during the meeting. Another bilateral meeting with the United Arab Emirates delegation led by Mr Matar Salem Ali Marran Aldhaheri, Defence Secretary, UAE was held. They reviewed the existing defence cooperation mechanisms and explored the possibilities of furthering defence industrial cooperation between India and UAE.

Dr Ajay Kumar later met a Brazilian delegation led by Rear Admiral Vagner Belarmino De Oliveira, Director, Department of Defence Products. They discussed areas of potential defence industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The delegations are in Gandhinagar to participate in DefExpo 2022 which will be held between October 18-22, 2022.