India wants closer defence cooperation with Malaysia

NEW DELHI: India is looking for enhanced military cooperation with Malaysia, the Indian Ministry of Defence said.

Malaysian Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a virtual conference on Monday.

Hishammuddin in a tweet remarked that he discussed military-to-military cooperation and defence industry collaboration with his Indian counterpart.

It was decided that the Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Meeting (MIDCOM) scheduled next month will be the platform for a deeper engagement in defence, the Indian ministry said in a statement.

Singh suggested a visit of senior officers from Malaysia to explore Indian defence facilities and products and invited Hishammuddin for a visit "at an early convenient date to discuss closer and strategic defence ties," the ministry said.

"The Malaysian Senior Defence Minister expressed the need for inducting women personnel in peacekeeping missions. Both sides agreed to engage each other on this issue. It was also agreed to upgrade capability for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations," the Indian statement noted.

-- BERNAMA