NEW DELHI: Army Chief Gen. MM Naravane departed for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a major week-long visit to strengthen defense cooperation and security ties with the two major countries in the region. from the Gulf.
This first visit by an Indian army chief to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia comes at a time when his traditionally close ties with Pakistan They have faced turbulence in recent months. The UAE has also “normalized” ties with Israel, and Saudi Arabia is likely to do the same soon.
General Naravane will meet with civilian and military leaders in the two countries to discuss measures to improve military ties, as well as visit defense establishments and academies. His first destination will be the United Arab Emirates, after which he will be in Saudi Arabia on December 13 and 14.
It will be General Naravane’s third trip abroad with clear diplomatic significance in the last months after his visit. Myanmar with Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringlain in October, and then Nepal in November. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar also visited the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain from 24 to 26 November.
India has built stronger defense ties with Gulf nations over the years through joint exercises, military training, and intelligence sharing, even as discussions have also taken place to export BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to countries like the UAE.
Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also interested in defense production joint ventures with India. UAE signature LynxFor example, it is also among four or five foreign contenders in the fray over the proposed “Make in India” project to manufacture 4.6 lakh close combat carbines for the Indian armed forces.
In Saudi Arabia, General Naravane also plans to visit the headquarters of the Royal Saudi Land Force, the Joint Forces Command and the King Abdulaziz Military Academy. He will also address the professors and students of the National Defense University of that place.
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