Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane Co-Chairs 12th India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee meeting

Defence secretary Giridhar Aramane co-chaired the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting with secretary general, ministry of defence, Oman, Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi in Muscat on 31 January 2024.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed and appreciated the robust defence cooperation between India and Oman. The JMCC meeting delved into many new areas of cooperation in the fields of training, joint exercise, information sharing, oceanography, shipbuilding and MRO, that would build mutual trust and interoperability between militaries of both nations. Further, they also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest. Both sides discussed effective and practical initiatives to further boost bilateral defence engagements with focus on defence industries collaboration.

Towards implementing India-Oman Joint Vision Document, ‘A Partnership for the Future’, adopted during the visit of head of state of the Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik in December 2023, the defence secretary and secretary general signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) pertaining to procurement of defence material and equipment which would provide a framework for a new area of defence collaboration.

During the two-day visit to Oman, defence secretary also held bilateral talks with the secretary general, in which he highlighted the potential of domestic defence industry with capacity and capability. He said that he looked forward to a fruitful partnership with the armed forces of Oman. Oman expressed confidence in the capability of Indian defence industry.

Aramane invited secretary general and his delegation to visit India to witness the defence industrial capability, especially in aerospace and maritime sectors. He was in Oman on the invitation of Ali Al Zaabi. Oman is one of India’s closest defence partners in Gulf region and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman.