Bilateral meeting between Union Defense Minister and Defense Secretary of Kenya

The Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Aden Beyer Duale, Defense Secretary of Kenya, in New Delhi on August 29, 2023.

This meeting is a testimony to the growing seriousness in the India-Kenya defence partnership.

• Both the Ministers agreed that the defence relationship between the two countries has evolved from being training-focused to include more strategic aspects.
• The Cabinet Secretary for Defense Affairs of Kenya is on a three-day visit to India.
• He will visit Indian shipyards and defence industries in Goa and Bengaluru during his stay.
• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh underlined in the conversation that India attaches great importance to its relations with African countries.
• Both the Ministers also agreed on the need for further cooperation in the maritime security of the Indian Ocean region.

An agreement between Goa Shipyard Limited and Kenya Shipyard Limited:

• Both sides also discussed in detail capacity building and cooperation in defence industry and equipment.
• An MoU was signed between Goa Shipyard Limited and Kenya Shipyard Limited for cooperation in the field of capacity building and in ship design and construction.
• As a token of friendship, Rajnath Singh presented 15 pairs of parachutes (main and reserve) manufactured by Gliders India Limited, for the use of Kenyan forces, to the Kenyan Cabinet Defense Secretary.
• India also extended support towards setting up an advanced CT scan facility in Kenya.
• Aden Beyer Duele also suggested training of trainers from the Kenyan forces by trainers from the Indian Armed Forces so as to maintain continuity and derive maximum benefit from such programmes.
• Both sides agreed to joint training in counter-insurgency and UN peacekeeping in the region. Other regional security issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.