Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that New Delhi looked forward to deepening cooperation with African nations, especially in combating terrorism, extremism, and for strengthening maritime security.

Addressing the first India- Africa Defence Ministers’ Conclave held as part of the DefExpo- 2020 in Lucknow, Singh said India was interested in taking its defence engagements with African countries to the next level. He recalled how this year’s African Union theme was in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s SAGAR vision for the India Pacific region.

“Spurred by Prime Minister’s SAGAR vision, India in recent years has enhanced maritime cooperation with the Indian Ocean littoral states in Africa. Indian Navy has been actively engaged in anti-piracy operations,” he said.