India, Mozambique sign MoU to boost Military Cooperation

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) India and Mozambique today agreed to promote bilateral defence relations and expand cooperation between all their three Armed Forces.

A Memorandum of Understanding in Defence Cooperation -- signed here by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his counterpart from Mozambique Tobias Joaquim Dai -- envisages collaboration in the field of military technical cooperation, logistic support and training.

According to an official spokesman, the joint activities envisaged under the MoU may include maritime patrolling of the Mozambican coast, mutual training in military institutes, supply of defence equipment/services and establishment of partnership and transfer of know-how and technology for assembling and repair of vehicles, aircraft and ships as well as rehabilitation of military infrastructure.

It is envisaged that a Joint Defence Working Group will be formed to coordinate the implementation of the MoU and its follow-up, the spokesman said.

India and Mozambique have shared friendly ties built on traditional links dating back beyond the pre-colonial period. India has supported Mozambique in its freedom struggle in the recent past and was amongst the first countries to recognize independent Mozambique in 1975.

The Mozambican Defence Minister arrived here yesterday on a six-day official visit to India on the invitation of Defence Minister Mukherjee.

UNI DG RL GC1747