India, Ethiopia agree to expand defence cooperation, explore joint production
New Delhi, Sep 28. India and Ethiopia have agreed to expand and deepen bilateral defence cooperation, including military training, exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping and defence production, during the second Joint Defence Cooperation (JDC) meeting held in Addis Ababa.
The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest and agreed to strengthen existing defence engagements through greater exchanges between personnel of training institutions, delegation-level visits and sharing of operational experience.
The countries will also explore opportunities for joint ventures in defence production, marking an expansion of cooperation beyond traditional military-to-military engagements.
The meeting, held on September 28, was co-chaired by Sanjay Kumar, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, and Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director General for Defence Foreign Relations and Military Cooperation of Ethiopia.
The Indian delegation included officials from the Department of Defence and Air Headquarters. Devesh Uttam, India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, also participated in the discussions.
The second JDC meeting is part of an institutional mechanism established under the Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Defence Ministers of India and Ethiopia in February 2025.
The inaugural JDC meeting was held in New Delhi in October 2025.
The latest discussions are aimed at providing greater institutional momentum to bilateral defence ties and creating additional avenues for cooperation in training, capacity building, defence industry and peacekeeping.
India and Ethiopia have maintained defence relations since 1958. The partnership received a significant political boost during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ethiopia in December 2025, when the bilateral relationship was elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership.
The latest defence dialogue is expected to further consolidate the expanded strategic relationship between the two countries and strengthen their cooperation in the defence and security domain.
