"Had an excellent meeting with UK Defence Minister, Mr. Grant Shapps. We reviewed the full range of India-UK defence relations. We had fruitful discussions on a wide range of issues pertaining to defence cooperation, security and also on enhancing defence industrial cooperation," Singh wrote on X
During the meeting, Shapps stressed that the India-UK relationship is not transactional, instead both countries are natural partners with many commonalities and shared goals
Singh, meanwhile, noted with appreciation the growing strategic convergence between the two countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific
The bilateral defence meeting was followed by the signing of two agreements between India and the UK, an MoU on the conduct of bilateral international cadet exchange programme, and a Letter of Arrangement between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on defence collaboration in research and development, as per a release issued by the Defence Ministry
These documents will provide impetus to the people-to-people exchanges particularly among the youth, and larger area of defence research collaboration between the two countries
Earlier on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was given full ceremony Guard of Honour at the Horse Guards Parade grounds in London
There was a special parade by the British Army's Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards and the Band of the Irish Guards
The regiments represented on parade are among the most historic in the British Army. Ceremonial welcomes of this nature are considered special and memorable moments of high honour from one nation to another
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