Rajnath Singh to visit Morocco on Sep 22, inaugurate India's first overseas Defence factory

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a two-day official visit to Morocco from September 22-23, to further strengthen the growing strategic convergence between India and the North African nation, the Ministry of Defence announced on Saturday.

The visit at the invitation of Morocco's Minister Delegate of National Defence, Abdeltif Loudiyi, will mark the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the North African nation.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the key highlight of the visit will be the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc's new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid.

This facility is the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa, which marks an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India's defence industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Ministry mentioned.

During the visit, Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with Loudiyi to strengthen defence, strategic and industry cooperation. He will also call on Morocco's Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, to explore avenues for industrial collaboration.

The Defence Minister will also interact with the vibrant Indian community in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

"Both sides are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence. The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties," read a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

Ties between India and Morocco have gained momentum since Moroccan King Mohammed VI met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 in India.

"The upcoming visit is expected to add fresh energy to this partnership, particularly in the defence and strategic sectors," the statement added.

Earlier in August, as part of the defence partnership between the two nations, the Indian Navy's newest stealth frigate, INS Tamal, undertook a three-day port visit to Morocco's Casablanca.

"The port call at Casablanca is indicative of the importance India attaches to its relations with Morocco and the endeavour to strengthen the growing defence cooperation between the two nations. It also provided an opportunity for both navies to share best practices and explore new avenues of cooperation," said the Defence Ministry.

--IANS

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