Kenya and India are set to embark on a new partnership to help strengthen both countries’ defence systems.
This was decided during the second Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in Nairobi on Tuesday.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary of the Armed Forces, Shri Manish Tripathi and major general Frederick Leuria, assistant chief of Defence Forces, Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training from Kenya.
In a press statement, India and Kenya said both sides had reviewed the progress made in military-to-military engagements.
“We have seen the progress made through joint exercises, training, high-level visits, expert exchanges, industry cooperation and cooperation in the field of research and development,” they said.
They said, they are looking to identify new avenues and areas of mutual interest to enhance defence industry cooperation, including exploring joint ventures.
“We have both had warm and friendly relations between our countries that have evolved into multi-faceted partnerships, marked by high-level visits, increasing trade and investment as well as extensive people-to-people contacts,” they said.
They said the first edition of the India Kenya Defence Industry Seminar and Expo will take place on November 10 to 11.
The seminar will take forward the JDCC discussions to identify concrete opportunities for collaboration in the defence industry.
“Some 24 Indian public and private defence manufacturers, and six marketing firms, will be participating in the event along with stakeholders from the Kenyan side,” they said.
It was agreed that the next JDCC meeting would be held in India on mutually convenient dates in 2023.
The Joint Secretary to the Armed Forces accompanied by Namgya Khampa and the High Commissioner of India to Kenya also called on Defence CS Aden Duale at his office.