India and Zimbabwe on Thursday agreed to deepen bilateral defence cooperation by expanding collaboration in training, support and maintenance of common air assets, while exploring new areas such as joint manufacturing, counter-terrorism, border management and peacekeeping.
The decisions were taken during the inaugural meeting of the India-Zimbabwe Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held in New Delhi.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad from the Indian side and Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera, who is leading a 12-member high-level delegation on a two-day visit to India. The Indian delegation included representatives from the armed forces, the Department of Defence Production and the Armed Forces Medical Services.
During the discussions, both sides reviewed existing areas of defence cooperation and agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties through enhanced collaboration in training and maintenance support. They also explored opportunities for cooperation in emerging areas, including defence manufacturing, counter-terrorism initiatives, border management and United Nations peacekeeping operations.
The meeting marked a significant step in operationalising the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed by the defence ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of Aero India 2025.
According to the Ministry of Defence, India and Zimbabwe share a steadily growing defence partnership, and the first JDC meeting has further reinforced bilateral engagement in the sector.
As part of the visit, the Zimbabwean delegation also visited DPSU Bhawan in New Delhi, where discussions were held with representatives of the Indian defence industry on potential areas of mutual cooperation.
Earlier, Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera paid homage to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The two-day visit is expected to provide further momentum to defence ties between India and Zimbabwe as both countries seek to expand cooperation across a wider range of strategic and security-related areas.
