The 5th Hungary-India Joint Defence Committee Meeting - which is the highest level forum focusing at elaborating and reviewing the defence cooperation programmes between Hungary and India - was finalized by the signing of the Minutes of the Plenary Session. The Co-Chairmen anonymously stated that the current JDC meeting was the most successful among the last years’ meetings.
By the invitation of Gábor Márki, Deputy State Secretary for Defence Economy, MOD Hungary an Indian delegation led by Shri Shekhar Agarwal, Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence, Government of India took part in the 5th Hungary-India Joint Defence Committee Meeting. H. E. Gaury Shankar Gupta, the Ambassador of the Republic of India joined the official delegation in Budapest and participated in all the major events of the JDC programme.
As an organic part of the JDC programme a Civilian Defence Industry Day was organised by the Ministry for National Economy on 23rd May. During the Industry Day the Indian Delegation had the opportunity to meet representatives of the Hungarian defence industry already having relations in the Indian market. On the other hand the Industry Day was a good debut for Hungarian companies to display products which could be noteworthy for potential Indian costumers from the defence and security sector. In the framework of the Industry Day the delegation visited to the El-Tech Centre.
The Plenary Session of the 5th JDC was held on 24th May in the Stefánia Palace. During the meeting the Ministry for National Economy was represented by Balázs Hidvéghi, State Secretary for External Economic Relations and International Affairs. In the course of the Plenary Session the Co-Chairmen made a short review of decisions and proposals which had been made or tabled during the last JDC Meeting in New Delhi. In the meting the Co-Chairmen determined the directions and fields for cooperation which are mutually beneficial for both countries’ armed forces in order to develop capabilities adequate to meet the challenges of the global and regional security environments.
The exploited areas of cooperation are: training and R&T aspects of NBC defence; upgrade and modernisation of Soviet/Russian origin armament and armaments systems; upgrade of some segments of battle systems of the Indian Armed Forces; military medical cooperation; cooperation in the field of training and education.
At the end of the Plenary Session the Co-Chairmen agreed that cooperation in the field of armaments; research and technology and defence industry can only be achieved by real partnership which can be eventuated feasible results in a timely manner.
In the course of the JDC programme the Indian delegation met Lieutenant General Zoltán Orosz Ph.D., Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. Moreover the delegation had office calls with György Matolcsy Ph.D., Minister for National Economy, Lajos Fodor, Administrative State Secretary, MOD and János Hóvári Ph.D., Deputy State Secretary for Global Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
(Ministry of Defence; Deputy State Secretary for Defence Economy)
