New Delhi, September 8: India and Morocco on Tuesday held the inaugural meeting of their Joint Defence Committee in New Delhi, signalling an effort by the two countries to expand and institutionalise cooperation across a range of military and defence-related areas.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both sides to discuss avenues for greater collaboration in military training and education, peacekeeping operations, joint exercises, military healthcare, cybersecurity and the defence industry.
The discussions were jointly led by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in charge of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Defence, and Brigadier General Abdellah Athmani, Head of the Second Bureau of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces.
Officials from India’s three armed forces, the Department of Defence, Integrated Defence Staff, Department of Defence Production, Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services, Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Ministry of External Affairs participated in the talks.
Both sides agreed to broaden defence engagement and explore new areas of practical cooperation.A key focus of the discussions was the potential for stronger defence-industrial ties. India and Morocco explored opportunities involving co-production, joint ventures, technology collaboration, maintenance support and other long-term industrial partnerships.
The Moroccan delegation, which is visiting India from September 7 to 10, has also been familiarising itself with India’s defence capabilities and production ecosystem.As part of the visit, Brigadier General Athmani paid tribute to Indian soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The delegation also interacted with representatives of Indian defence companies at DPSU Bhawan to gain an understanding of the country’s expanding defence manufacturing capabilities.
The Moroccan officials are also scheduled to visit the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) to learn about India’s military medical infrastructure and specialised expertise.The latest engagement follows Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Morocco in September 2025, during which India and Morocco signed an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in the defence sector.
The Joint Defence Committee has been established as part of the institutional framework created under that agreement and is expected to provide a regular mechanism for reviewing and advancing bilateral defence cooperation.
The meeting assumes added significance as India and Morocco prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of their bilateral relationship in 2027.
The two countries are now looking to build on their longstanding ties by expanding cooperation into emerging defence domains as well as strengthening traditional military-to-military engagement.
