New Delhi: India and Zimbabwe have decided to deepen their bilateral defence engagement by broadening cooperation in areas such as military training, maintenance assistance, joint production and various security-related sectors, following the inaugural meeting of the India-Zimbabwe Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held in New Delhi on Thursday.
The meeting represented a major step forward in defence ties between the two nations and was jointly chaired by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Amitabh Prasad and Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Defence Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera, who is heading a 12-member high-level delegation on a two-day official visit to India.
During the deliberations, both countries reviewed the current framework of defence cooperation and examined opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in training, logistical support and maintenance of common air platforms. They also explored possibilities for cooperation in emerging areas, including joint defence manufacturing, counter-terrorism initiatives, border security management and peacekeeping missions.
The Indian side was represented by officials from the Armed Forces, the Department of Defence Production and the Armed Forces Medical Services.
The discussions helped translate into action the objectives laid down in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation signed by the defence ministers of India and Zimbabwe on the sidelines of Aero India 2025. Officials observed that the first JDC meeting has given additional impetus to the steadily expanding defence relationship between the two countries.
As part of the visit, the Zimbabwean delegation toured DPSU Bhawan in New Delhi, where it held discussions with representatives of the Indian defence industry to identify potential avenues for cooperation and industrial partnerships.
Earlier, Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The maiden JDC meeting is expected to inject fresh momentum into India-Zimbabwe defence relations and pave the way for enhanced cooperation in defence capacity building, industrial collaboration and regional security efforts.