India and Malaysia on Wednesday held the 12th Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC) in New Delhi, reviewing the entire spectrum of bilateral defence ties and identifying new areas for collaboration, including defence industry, technology, cyber security and humanitarian assistance.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence Amitabh Prasad and Assistant Chief of Staff (Defence Operations and Training), Malaysian Armed Forces, Major General Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the two sides reviewed ongoing military engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation and collaboration in emerging domains.
Both countries expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in defence ties and agreed to further strengthen cooperation through enhanced exchanges, professional interactions and greater participation in each other’s military training courses and institutions.
The two sides also explored opportunities to expand collaboration in defence manufacturing, defence technology, cyber security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
India and Malaysia appreciated each other’s active participation in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting practical cooperation under the Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
The meeting also included an exchange of views on regional and global security developments. Both sides reiterated their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, in accordance with international law.
The Ministry of Defence said the discussions underscored the importance of defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral defence ties based on mutual trust, shared interests and a common vision for a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation serves as the principal military-to-military consultative mechanism between the two countries and precedes the India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting, which is held at the level of the Defence Secretary.
-ANI
