India, Morocco sign defence MoU; pact to strengthen counter-terrorism, maritime security and capacity building | India News

NEW DELHI: India and Morocco on Monday inked an agreement to boost military cooperation following talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudiyi. Singh is currently on a visit to Morocco. In a post on X, Singh said that he and his counterpart discussed ways to deepen collaboration in key areas, including Counter-terrorism efforts, Maritime security, Cyber defence, and capacity building. “Had a very productive meeting with Morocco’s Defence Minister Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi and we signed an MoU on cooperation in the field of defence. India’s ties with Morocco are growing remarkably over the years. We discussed ways to deepen collaboration in key areas, including Counter-terrorism efforts, Maritime security, Cyber defence and capacity building,” he said.The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages, officials said. “India’s ties with Morocco are growing remarkably over the years. We discussed ways to deepen collaboration in key areas, including counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence and capacity building,” Singh added. Singh’s visit to Morocco is the first-ever trip to that country by an Indian defence minister. Ties between India and Morocco have gained momentum since King Mohammed VI’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 in India.