Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin met with India's Ambassador to Ukraine Ravi Shankar on Oct. 26 to discuss strengthening defense industry cooperation between Kyiv and New Delhi, the Strategic Industries Ministry announced.
"Ukraine is open to expanding the scope of partnerships in the defense sector, and we are ready to consider various forms of collaboration," Smetanin said in a statement released by the Strategic Industries Ministry. "It is important to assess the capabilities and needs of both our countries' defense industries, to identify challenges, and to determine the course we will take."
The meeting follows discussions between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late September aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Zelensky and Modi discussed trade, economic and defense cooperation, India's involvement in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, and collaboration in educational, scientific, and cultural initiatives, according to the statement by the president's office.
Ukraine and India approved four cooperation agreements in August during Modi's first visit to Ukraine. The parties did not disclose the details of the deals.
"I welcome the proposal to expand cooperation in the defense industries and assure the Minister of the Embassy's support in defining specific proposals," said Shankar, following the meeting.
No details were provided on the specifics of the discussions.
A historical ally of Russia, India has maintained its close economic and diplomatic ties with Moscow since February 2022, with bilateral trade reaching a historic high in 2023.
Ahead of Modi's first visit to Kyiv in August, the Indian prime minister visited Moscow where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The visit included a widely criticized hug between the two leaders on July 8, hours after Russia bombed the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, killing two people.
Nate Ostiller
