Why in News?
India and Morocco held their inaugural Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting in New Delhi on 8 September 2026 to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. The two sides discussed cooperation in military training and education, peacekeeping, military exercises, medical cooperation, cyber defence and defence industries.
Key Highlights
- The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence, and Brigadier General Abdellah Athmani, Chief of the 2nd Bureau of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces.
- Both sides agreed to explore cooperation in co-production, joint ventures, technology collaboration, maintenance and sustainment in the defence sector.
- The Moroccan delegation visited Indian defence industries to gain exposure to India’s growing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and will also visit Army Hospital (Research & Referral) to understand India’s military medicine capabilities.
- Defence cooperation is gaining momentum as India-Morocco bilateral relations approach their 70th anniversary in 2027.
India-Morocco Defence Cooperation
An MoU on Defence Cooperation was signed between India and Morocco during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Morocco in September 2025. The Joint Defence Committee is part of the institutional mechanism established under this MoU to strengthen bilateral defence ties.
