By Staff Correspondent
India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, recently met with Argentine counterpart Jorge Enrique Taiana in New Delhi, signalling a significant step towards deepening defence ties between the two nations. The dialogue centred on the advancement of current defence collaboration initiatives, with an emphasis on fostering industrial partnerships within this critical sector.
On 18 July 2023, prior to the discussions, Taiana commemorated fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial in a wreath-laying ceremony. The Argentine Minister was also accorded a Tri-service Guard of Honour before the commencement of official dialogues.
Taiana arrived in New Delhi on 17 July for a four-day official visit accompanied by Francisco Cafiero, the Secretary of International Affairs of the Argentine Ministry of Defence. As part of his itinerary, the Argentine Minister toured the facilities of BrahMos Aerospace and is also scheduled to visit other prominent defence facilities and think-tanks in the Indian capital.
Taiana’s visit will extend to Bengaluru, where he will visit Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) facilities and attend an event hosted by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) aimed at engaging with burgeoning defence start-ups.
India and Argentina have been operating under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for defence cooperation since 2019, following the elevation of their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Efforts are underway to conclude further agreements that will deepen and diversify this engagement. Both nations are investing in cooperative efforts to make defence partnerships a significant feature of their Strategic Partnership.
