• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Indian defense min leaves on 6-day visit to S. Africa

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 30, IRNA -- Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes, 
heading a high powered delegation left here on Friday evening for a 
6-day official visit to South Africa. 
Fernandes is scheduled to attend a meeting of the trilateral 
defense cooperation between India-South Africa and Brazil during 
the visit. 
Informed sources in India`s Defense Ministry told IRNA on Friday 
that Fernandes will hold wide ranging bilateral talks with his South 
African counterpart, Mosiuao Gerard Patrick Lekota and will attend the
meeting of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Forum in Johannesburg.
The trilateral meeting was to be held in late November but has now
been rescheduled to be held towards the end of the month. 
The Indian delegation is also slated to visit some major South 
African defense industries including the Denal Artillery gun plant. 
According to a press release of India`s Ministry of Defense, the 
three developing countries have a substantial commonality of views. It
may be recalled that on the 6th of June last year Foreign Ministers of
the three countries had met in Brasilia with the aim of examining the 
major themes on the international agenda and those of mutual interest.
There was consensus on many important points including 
strengthening the UN and its reforms, international peace and 
security, conservation of environment and south-south cooperation, the
release added. The first meeting of this Commission is scheduled for 
the month of March in New Delhi. 
Fernandes, the South African Defense Minister and the Brazilian 
Defense Minister Jose Viegas Filho will exchange views on military 
cooperation. 
Fernandes is also slated to visit Cape Town besides Johannesburg. 
He will also take this opportunity to visit some of the defense 
industries including Som Chem company which makes bi-modular charges 
for field guns. 
An ordnance factory with an investment of Rs. 10 billion for the 
manufacture of bi-modular charges is being built at Rajgir in Bihar 
in Nalanda district of Northern Indian State of Bihar. 
A substantial part of earthwork has already been completed. 
Once the ammunition factory project is completed, it will largely 
benefit not only the armed forces but also open up enormous 
opportunities for local employment, the release said. 
Fernandes`s visit comes at a significant juncture with South 
Africa sending major delegation to the Indian Arm and land systems 
exhibition beginning here on February 4. 
2160/NA/210 
End