India and Morocco Hold First Joint Defence Committee Meeting

India and Morocco held the inaugural meeting of their Joint Defence Committee (JDC) in New Delhi on 8 September 2026. The meeting created a formal bilateral mechanism for defence cooperation between the two countries under a Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2025.

Joint Defence Committee

The Joint Defence Committee is a bilateral institutional mechanism used by two countries to discuss defence cooperation, military exchanges, and industrial collaboration. In this case, the JDC was established to expand cooperation in military training, peacekeeping operations, joint exercises, cyber defence, and military medicine.

Meeting Details and Delegation

The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, and Brigadier General Abdellah Athmani, Chief of the 2nd Bureau of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces. The Moroccan delegation visited India from 7 to 10 September 2026 and interacted with Indian defence industries at DPSU Bhawan.

Areas of Defence Cooperation

The two sides discussed co-production, joint ventures, technology collaboration, maintenance, and sustainment in the defence sector. They also examined cooperation in military medicine during a visit to the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi.

Important Facts for Exams

• The National War Memorial in New Delhi honours soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who died in service after Independence.
• DPSU stands for Defence Public Sector Undertaking, which refers to government-owned defence production entities in India.
• The 2nd Bureau is a military intelligence and operational staff element in some armed forces structures.
• India and Morocco are scheduled to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.

Diplomatic and Defence Context

India and Morocco signed the Defence Cooperation MoU in September 2025 during the visit of Rajnath Singh to Morocco. The two countries are preparing to complete 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.