Rajnath Singh meets Israeli defence minister Benjamin Gantz; key issues discussed

Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Gantz in New Delhi, where they discussed a range of topics, with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties. The Indian minister and his Israeli counterpart are in the process of drafting a ''vision statement'' that will further expand their defence and military cooperation.

In recognition of their respective roles, both ministers have committed to the production and development of military equipment that will work together, with a major focus on the current geopolitical crisis, and in particular the Ukrainian crisis. There was also a discussion of the Gulf situation.

In a subsequent tweet, the Indian Defence Minister said: ''Discussed key issues pertaining to defence cooperation and global and regional scenarios during the bilateral meeting. We place great value on our Strategic Partnership with Israel," Singh tweeted.''

Before beginning the talks, Gantz paid homage to the martyred Indian soldiers at the National War Memorial. As for the specifics, India has been noted as a significant buyer of Israeli military hardware in recent years. Weapons, missiles, and unmanned aerial systems have been shipped to India over the years, but their transactions remain largely hidden behind closed doors, according to an India Today report.

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