India, Thailand to establish working group to monitor defence cooperation
India and Thailand have agreed to establish a joint working group that would steer and monitor cooperation among defence industries in the two countries.
This was decided at a ‘defence dialogue’ between the two countries here today.
The Ministry of Defence said “both sides agreed for early establishment of a joint working group to effectively steer and monitor cooperation in the areas of defence industry”.
It was agreed to conduct exchange of subject matter experts between Indian and the Thai armed forces to carry forward and institutionalise regular engagement in niche domains.
India highlighted the potential of domestic defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in its defence acquisition plans.
Thailand has proposed exploring possibilities for co-design, co-production and co-development in the field of defence equipment.
As part of the visit, the Thailand delegation will visit the Defence Research and Development Organisation headquarters and discuss ways to enhance defence industrial capabilities by cooperation in defence research and joint production.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad and Thailand’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Tharapong Malakam.
Earlier in the day, the Deputy Permanent Secretary laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial here. The Thailand delegation also visited the National Museum and paid respects to the holy relics of Lord Buddha placed at the museum.
The dialogue is a significant milestone in intensifying defence relations with Thailand, which is a maritime neighbour and a valued partner in India’s ‘Act East’ policy and the Indo-Pacific region, the MoD said.
