NEW DELHI:  In a bid to explore avenues to enhance bilateral defence and strategic cooperation, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held extensive discussions with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius today, June 6 .

"Had fruitful discussions with the German Defence Minister, Mr. Boris Pistorius," wrote Rajnath Singh in a tweet. His passion for Yoga is commendable.  We talked about regional issues and our shared priorities. We also decided to increase India and Germany's defence cooperation.

"We must work with other partners to find a solution to this issue. But obviously, we can't have an interest in India being so reliant on Russia for the delivery of weapons or other supplies in the long run," he said. I want to send a message that we are ready to help our partners, especially our dependable partners like Indonesia and India, he said.

As per the Ministry of External Affairs, bilateral ties between India and Germany are based on shared democratic ideals and characterised by a high level of mutual trust and respect. After the Second World War, India was one of the first nations to establish diplomatic relations with Germany.

The Western Naval Command Headquarters and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited are likely on the agenda for the German Federal Minister of Defense's visit to Mumbai on June 7.

German news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) stated that the German Defence Minister said it was not in Germany's best interest for India to continue to rely on Russian weapons.

Pistorius told DW's senior political journalist Nina Haase in an exclusive interview conducted in Jakarta, "It is not up to Germany to change that on our own." Prior to his four-day trip to India, Pistorius was in Jakarta.
"We must work with other partners to find a solution to this problem. But of course, it is not in our long-term interests for India to be so reliant on Russian material or weapon deliveries, he said.

Pistorius said that Germany is ever ready to support partners like India.  “I want to send a signal that we are willing to support our partners, our reliable partners like Indonesia, like India,” he said.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Meet Rajnath Singh Today

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Rajnath Singh to hold bilateral talks with US, German Ministers in Delhi