Rajnath Singh strengthens defense ties with Fiji and South Sudan

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with Pio Tikodua, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Fiji and Lt Gen Chol Thon, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs of South Sudan in Bengaluru. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the Fijian Defence Minister on his first visit to India. According to an official release by the Ministry of Defence, both sides expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation and agreed to further deepen and diversify the existing cooperation. India and Fiji also agreed to institutionalise the India-Fiji Joint Working Group in the MoU on Defence Cooperation signed in 2017 as well.

Efforts Towards MOU
In his meeting with the South Sudanese Defence Minister, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked him for participating in Aero India 2025. Both sides agreed to initiate and accelerate efforts towards a Memorandum of Understanding to effectively pursue defence cooperation between the two countries. The South Sudanese side acknowledged India's efforts at the UN Mission in South Sudan. The two sides agreed to partner for better training exchanges, and agreed to expand relations through industry partnerships.

Commendable meeting between the two Defence Ministers

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, sharing his meeting with his Fiji and Sudanese counterparts on social media X, said, "Had a commendable meeting with Fiji's Defence Minister Pio Tikodua in Bengaluru. Discussed ways and means to deepen defence cooperation further. We agreed to institutionalize the India-Fiji Joint Working Group (JWG) on defence cooperation. The 15th edition of Asia's largest aerospace and defence exhibition will begin today at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru.