NEW DELHI: The 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC) took place in New Delhi recently. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, India Amitabh Prasad and Assistant Chief of Staff, Defence Operations & Training, Malaysian Armed Forces Maj Gen Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman.

The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral military cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the steady progress achieved. The discussions covered ongoing defence engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation, and cooperation in emerging domains.

Both sides acknowledged the successful conduct of regular bilateral activities and agreed to further strengthen cooperation between their Defence Forces through enhanced exchanges, professional interactions, and increased participation in each other's military courses and training institutions. The delegations also discussed opportunities for expanding collaboration in the fields of defence industry, defence technology, cyber security and humanitarian assistance & disaster relief.

Both sides appreciated each other’s active participation in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely in promoting practical cooperation under the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. They also exchanged views on regional & global security developments and reiterated their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security & freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, in accordance with international law.

The meeting underscored the importance of strengthening defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening bilateral defence ties based on mutual trust, shared interests, and a common vision for a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The SCMC serves as the principal military-to-military consultative mechanism between the two countries and is the precursor to the India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting held at the level of Defence Secretary. The meeting reviewed the progress made since the last SCMC and expressed confidence that the outcomes would provide a strong foundation for productive deliberations at the forthcoming India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting.

The visiting delegation also called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and visited the DPSU Bhawan at World Trade Centre, New Delhi. Prior to the meeting, the head of the Malaysian delegation paid homage to India's fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.