The Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday that the India-Africa Defence Dialogue will be held on October 18 on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
According to a press statement from the Defence Ministry, Rajnath Singh will host the defence ministers of African nations on Tuesday during the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) that will take place alongside the 12th DefExpo in Gujarat. “India-Africa: Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation” is the dialogue’s overarching theme. Africa and India have long-standing historical links. The Kampala Principles, which were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, serve as the foundation for India’s policy toward Africa. Indian involvement is based on priorities set out by Africans themselves.
On February 6, 2020, in conjunction with DefExpo, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh hosted the inaugural India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave. At the conclusion of the conclave, a Joint Declaration known as the “Lucknow Declaration” was adopted.
In keeping with the “Lucknow Declaration” and after consultation with all relevant parties, IAAD has been formalised to take place on the margins of DefExpo every two years.
The IADD will look into new areas of convergence for mutual involvement, including counterterrorism, cyber security, training, and capacity building.
Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) is the knowledge partner for the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.