Nations with superior military powers can't dictate solutions to others: Rajnath Singh

His comments came against the backdrop of China's growing efforts to expand military influence in the Indo-Pacific, Africa and in India's neighbourhood

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called for greater cooperation among countries in an “increasingly complex” global security scenario.

Singh was speaking at a defence ministers’ conclave that he hosted on the sidelines of Aero India 2023.

The defence minister said, “Rapid transmission of shocks and disturbances” in an interconnected world made it impossible for countries to insulate themselves from issues of other countries.

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The world feels in multiple ways the impact of disruption in peace and security of any region. “A common, secure, and prosperous future” for a networked world could be pursued through regular interactions, he said.

Pointing to the global efforts to deal with Covid-19, Singh said that the pandemic validated the need to ensure greater coordination among nations in diverse areas.

The conclave, themed ‘Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence’ (SPEED), discussed cooperation for capacity building through investments, R&D, joint ventures, co-development, co-production, space, AI, and maritime security.

It was attended by more than 160 delegates from several countries, including defence and deputy defence ministers from 27 countries, and 15 defence and service chiefs.

The defence minister also met chief executive officers (CEOs) of Original Equipment Manufacturers on Tuesday. Singh assured the CEOs of government efforts to remove regulatory hurdles for private industry.

The CEOs and senior management of General Atomics, Safran, Boeing, Embraer and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems were present at the interaction.