India And Oman Review Progress In Military-to-Military Engagements

New Delhi, February 2 (TNA) Secretary General at the Ministry of Defence, Oman Dr Mohammed Bin Nasser Bin Ali Al–Zaabi called on Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday. They discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. The Secretary General at the Ministry of Defence, Oman also briefed Singh about the 11th India–Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee Meeting (JMCC) on bilateral defence cooperation which was held in New Delhi on January 31, 2022.

The JMCC meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Secretary General at the Ministry of Defence, Oman. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress made in military-to-military engagements, including joint exercises, industry cooperation and various ongoing infrastructure projects.

It was decided to identify new avenues and examine areas of mutual interest for Joint Venture in order to enhance defence industry cooperation. Conduct of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise involving the three services and enhancing the scope and complexities of the existing joint exercises were also discussed. Both the countries agreed to work together to combat the issue of drug trafficking prevalent in the North Arabian Sea.

It was agreed to hold the next JMCC in Oman on mutually convenient dates. The JMCC is the apex body between the Defence Ministries of India and Oman to comprehensively review & guide all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation.

The Secretary General also called on the three Service Chiefs and met with the CEOs of Indian Defence Industries. He will be visiting Cochin Shipyard Limited, Military Training Establishments and the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, during his stay.