India, Netherlands reaffirm defence ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, David van Weel successful New Delhi connected Thursday (December 18, 2025), reaffirming the beardown and steadily expanding defence concern betwixt the 2 nations.

During the meeting, some Ministers held wide-ranging discussions connected bilateral information and defence cooperation, including precedence areas for the co-development and co-production of defence equipment, the Ministry of Defence stated.

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The 2 countries reiterated their committedness to strengthening military-to-military engagement, and processing defence practice arsenic a cardinal pillar of the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership.

The talks besides underscored the shared committedness of India and the Netherlands to a free, open, inclusive, and rule-based Indo-Pacific region. Emphasising the request for a person defence partnership, the Ministers highlighted the value of connecting the defence industries of some countries, peculiarly successful niche and emerging technologies.

A Letter of Intent connected Defence Cooperation was exchanged betwixt Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, Marisa Gerards, successful the beingness of the 2 Ministers. The papers aims to supply an organization model for advancing defence collaboration.

Both sides agreed to research caller avenues of practice done the improvement of a defence concern roadmap focusing connected exertion collaboration, co-production, and co-development of defence platforms and instrumentality for communal benefit.

Strong people-to-people ties signifier the instauration of the bilateral relationship, with the ample Indian diaspora successful the Netherlands acting arsenic a surviving span that continues to fortify bonds of relationship betwixt the 2 countries.