India, Malaysia review entire spectrum of bilateral military cooperation

NEW DELHI: India and Malaysia on Wednesday reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral military cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the steady progress achieved. The discussions, during the 12th India-Malaysia sub committee meeting on military cooperation in New Delhi, covered ongoing defence engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation, and cooperation in emerging domains. The meeting was co-chaired by joint secretary, defence ministry, Amitabh Prasad and assistant chief of staff, defence operations & training, Malaysian armed forces Maj Gen Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman. Both sides acknowledged the successful conduct of regular bilateral activities and agreed to further strengthen cooperation between their defence forces through enhanced exchanges, professional interactions, and increased participation in each other’s military courses and training institutions. The delegations also discussed opportunities for expanding collaboration in the fields of defence industry, defence technology, cyber security and humanitarian assistance & disaster relief. Both sides appreciated each other’s active participation in the Asean defence ministers’ meeting-plus (ADMM-Plus) framework and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely in promoting practical cooperation under the experts’ working group on counter-terrorism. They also exchanged views on regional and global security developments and reiterated their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, in accordance with international law. The meeting underscored the importance of strengthening defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening bilateral defence ties based on mutual trust, shared interests, and a common vision for a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.