India and Rwanda held the first edition of Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda on February 8, 2024, to discuss a wide range of opportunities to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. Detailed discussions were held in areas like training cooperation, joint military exercises, defence-industrial cooperation etc. The Indian delegation highlighted the growing prowess of Indian defence manufacturers to export to friendly countries.
The Rwandan side evinced keen interest in augmenting training cooperation, expressing confidence in the growing capabilities of the Indian defence industry. The Rwandan side highlighted areas where the Indian Armed Forces and industry could collaborate with their Defence Forces under the aegis of the Defence MoU signed between the two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Rwanda in 2018.
Earlier the Indian delegation called on Defence Minister of Rwanda, Mr. Marizamunda Juvenal and conveyed the warm greetings of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary Shri Amitabh Prasad and included senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Armed Forces. The Charge d’Affaires in the Indian mission in Kigali, Shri Nilratan Mridha also attended the meeting.
Bilateral relations between India and Rwanda have been cordial and have grown steadily over the years. The visit of the Indian delegation for the JDCC meeting is likely to further strengthen defence relations with Rwanda.