UK-India Defence and International Security Partnership
Defence and International Security Partnership between the Government of India and the Government of the United Kingdom
The UK and India are key partners in a changing world. Both countries face the same threats and challenges including the scourge of violent extremism and terror; violent conflict; WMD proliferation; and serious organised crime.
As countries that share a proud tradition of upholding a rules-based international system, India and the UK resolve to strengthen the international system and develop a deeper partnership to better combat global threats.
Defence Collaboration
The UK and India will elevate their Defence relationship by establishing capability partnerships in strategic areas, through which we will work together across the spectrum of doctrine, training and other elements upon which military effectiveness depends. These partnerships will enable transfer of strategic capability between our two nations, including defence technologies and manufacturing in areas of mutual interest.
In support of India-UK technology capability partnerships, the two countries will develop research into new areas and progress their defence science and technology collaborative projects.
Make in India
The two Prime Ministers agreed that their governments would work together in support of ‘Make in India’ on indigenous defence projects.
They welcomed and encouraged the growing collaboration between their respective defence industries.
Global Issues
The UK remains a strong advocate of a reformed United Nations and is actively engaged in efforts to reform the UN Security Council. The UK continues to support India’s bid for a permanent seat in an expanded Security Council.
The UK and India will work together to follow up on the recent Peacekeeping Operations Review to improve the effectiveness of peace operations undertaken by the United Nations.
The two countries will deepen their dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation and work towards India’s entry into all Export Control Regimes.
Counter Terrorism
India and the UK stand united against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and support the early finalisation of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
They will continue to work together to disrupt all financial and tactical support for terrorist networks including ISIL, Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the Haqqanis and the associated groups. The two countries reiterate their call for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai to justice.
The UK and India will continue to work together to prevent terrorist attacks and counter violent extremism, including through the exchange of best practices and technologies.
Both countries will work together to drive forward international efforts to counter extremism and the ideology that underpins it. They will work through the UN and the Global Counter Terrorism Forum to support action by governments to implement effective national strategies, in partnership with communities, civil society and industry.
Cyber
India and the UK are key partners on cyber and digital technology, including in support of Prime Minister Modi’s Digital India initiative. The new MoU on e-Governance will build cooperation in bringing the benefits of digital government to their citizens.
The two countries will work together as governments, and with industry, civil society, academics and the technical community, to ensure that the internet enables freedom of expression, innovation, collaboration and inclusion in their societies and around the world.
The UK and India will work together to provide world-class expertise, education and training to their nations’ cyber security professionals. In support of this, the two countries agree to expand the UK’s Chevening Cyber Scholarships programme for India and establish a Cyber Security Training Centre of Excellence.
They will continue and further strengthen their joint work to increase the effectiveness of their law enforcement legislation and capability, and improve their ability to tackle cross-border cyber crime and online child sexual exploitation. In this regard, both sides will explore the finalizing of MoUs on cyber crime and cyber forensic cooperation, on telecom testing and security certification, as agreed during the second India-UK Cyber Dialogue in February 2015.
India and the UK will work together, and in partnership with their nations’ technology industries, on the global WePROTECT initiative to combat online child sexual exploitation.
The UK will provide advice on the setting up of the new Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, and expert-level links will be developed between practitioners and policy makers in this field
The two countries will work together to improve the resilience of their nations’ networks and ICT infrastructure, and their ability and agility to react and mitigate cyber incidents, including early conclusion of an MoU on CERT to CERT Cooperation.
Serious and Organised Crime
India and the UK will work together to enhance their co-operation against serious and organised crime through information sharing, operational co-operation and exchange of best practice to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks, bring the perpetrators to justice, and protect their citizens.
Maritime
The UK and India will work together to promote a secure international maritime domain. They will work together to promote and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with accepted principles of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of Sea.
The two countries will strengthen their naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean, including through Royal Navy participation in the International Fleet Review enhancing the Konkan series of bilateral exercises; and, exchange of information to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
India and the UK will work together to tackle the scourge of piracy, coordinating closely in the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and work together to build the capacity of littoral states to respond to piracy and maritime crime.
The above commitments will better enable the UK and India to meet the evolving threats and challenges that face democracies in the 21st century.
Annex: Mechanisms for co-operation
India and the UK will deepen their bilateral relationship, through biennial PM-PM Summits, supported by their annual Foreign Office dialogues and NSA-NSA talks.
The two countries will hold annual strategic dialogues between the Defence Ministers, and between the Joint/Integrated and Single Service Chiefs.
The two countries will hold annual Defence Consultative Group and Executive Steering Group Talks, and will introduce a sixth Steering Group to coordinate Joint Forces and Integrated Defence Staff cooperation.
The UK and India will intensify their biennial military exercise programme, starting with the Naval, Army, and Air Force exercises planned for 2017 in India.
The two countries will strengthen the training and lecture exchange programmes across their Defence and Staff Colleges and training establishments.
The two countries will develop their annual joint working groups on Counter Terrorism and Cyber including encouraging close contacts between CERT-UK and CERT-In.
India and the UK will enhance their formally established consultations to discuss issues in West Asia, East Asia and the multilateral sphere, and their Joint Working Group to discuss issues in Afghanistan.
The two countries will continue their regular consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation issues.
The UK and India will deepen their co-operation in the region by holding a new annual senior official dialogue on South Asia, including maritime issues.