NEW DELHI, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- India and Brazil on Wednesday discussed ways of deepening defence cooperation. A statement from the Indian Defence Ministry said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Vice President of Brazil Geraldo Alckmin and Defence Minister of Brazil Josأ© M?cio Monteiro Filho in New Delhi.
Both the sides reviewed the progress of ongoing defence related initiatives and identified priority areas for joint work including exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to advance defence cooperation focusing on military-to-military exchanges, including joint exercises and training visit.
Alckmin who arrived in New Delhi today on a three-day visit accompanied by cabinet ministers, senior officials and a business delegation is to hold the inaugural Trade Ministerial Review Meeting tomorrow with Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.
Alckmin will also meet Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep S Puri and discuss various issues of mutual interest. Alckmin is also expected to attend the India-Brazil Business Forum and visit the All India Institute of Ayurveda.
India and Brazil had agreed to establish a Ministerial-level Review Mechanism to foster trade and investment, and set a bilateral trade target of USD 20 billion in the next five years during recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Brazil.
The visit is envisaged to provide an opportunity to review bilateral trade and investment, identify new priority sectors, set a road map towards achieving the trade target and further strengthen the multifaceted Strategic Partnership, the statement said. (end) atk.hm