INDIA AND
BRAZIL LIKELY TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON DEFENCE COOPERATION
India and Brazil
likely to sign an agreement on defence cooperation this evening.
This was agreed during the meeting and delegation level talks
held between the Brazilian Defence Minister Mr. Ambassador Jose
Vieges Filho and Defence Minister Mr. George Fernandes in New
Delhi today. The two ministers discussed defence cooperation between
the two countries with special emphasis on aeronautical and defence
industry including ship building.
During the delegation
level talks a decision was taken to set up a working group or
mechanism, wherein concrete proposals on defence industry and
military-to-military cooperation would be formulated. Proposals
that also came up for discussion were jungle warfare, jungle survival
training and integrated air defence management.
In terms of defence
cooperation, Brazil has a well-developed Aeronautical and Defence
Industry and a well-established Air Defence Surveillance system.
Hence the possibilities of cooperation are being visualized in
co-production and co-development in the area of aeronautics, shipbuilding
systems and sub-systems such as software, avionics and ordnance.
During the talks
the Defence Minister Mr. Fernandes referred to the Light Combat
Aircraft, the Advanced Light Helicopter and the Advanced Jet Trainer.
Shri Fernandes invited Brazil to participate in the forthcoming
Defence Expo to be held in February next year.
Besides the physical
distance there were barriers of political culture between India
and Brazil in the past. However, the meeting between President
Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva and Prime Minister AB Vajpayee at the
G8 summit this year, followed by the visits of the Indian External
Affairs and Defence Ministers to Brazil has helped thaw relations
between the two countries considerably. At the G8 Summit, President
Lula referred to India as one of the countries with which Brazil
wanted to fortify relations.
At the delegation
level meeting, the Indian delegation was headed by Defence Minister
Shri George Fernandes. The other members of the delegation are
Defence Secretary Shri Ajay Prasad, Vice Admiral Raman Puri, Chief
of Integrated Defence Staff, the Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air
Marshal Mc Mahon, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Arun
Prakash and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen JBS Yadav.
The seven member
Brazilian delegation was headed by Defence Minister Mr. Ambassador
Jose Viages Filho and the other members of the delegation include
Assistant Commander of Brazilian Air Force Major Pilot Marcelo
Luis Freire Cardoso Tosta, ADC to the Defence Minister Major Infantry
Carlos Feitossa Rodriguez, Chief of Cabinet of Ministry of Defence
Counsellor Fernando Jose Macroni de Abreu, Commander of the Brazilian
Air Force Lt Brig Air Luiz Carlos da Silva Bueno, Ambassador of
Brazil Mrs Vera Barrouin and Third Secretary of Embassy of Brazil
Mr. Daniel Falcon Lins.
The Chairman Chiefs
of Staff Committee and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra
Singh, the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy
and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen JBS Yadav also called on
the dignitary and discussed the possibility of cooperation between
the defence forces of the two countries.
The Brazilian Defence
Minister arrived in New Delhi yesterday on a four-day visit. Earlier
in the day the dignitary placed a wreath at the Amar Jawan
Jyoti after which he was presented a ceremonial tri-services
Guard of Honour in South Block lawns. Mr Filho is slated to call
on the Deputy Prime Minister of India Shri LK Advani on Tuesday
and is expected to depart for Brazil on Wednesday.
