India and Mozambique signed Agreement on Maritime Security

India and Mozambique signed an agreement on maritime security to make the Indian Ocean a safe region for trade on 28 June 2011 during the visit of Mozambique Minister of National Defence, Filipe Jacinto Nyussi. Mozambique Minister of National Defence, Filipe Jacinto Nyussi had reached India on 24 June 2011 for a five day visit. An agreement was reached during delegation-level talks between the visiting Mozambique Minister of National Defence, Filipe Jacinto Nyussi, and Defence Minister AK Antony. 

The issue of piracy off the East Coast of Africa were discussed during talks between the two leaders. With piracy disrupting sea trade in the Indian Ocean region, India and Mozambique agreed to jointly fight the menace to ensure the safety and security of maritime commerce.
They also discussed various bilateral defence cooperation issues while identifying new areas for cooperation to strengthen the existing relations between the two countries. The Mozambican Defence Minister also met Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, Army Chief General VK Singh and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshall NAK Browne.

Nyussi visited key defence installations, including the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, the National Defence Academy and the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, besides the prestigious Army Research & Referral Hospital in New Delhi.

In March 2006, India and Mozambique had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation. Subsequently, two meetings of the Joint Defence Working Group were held in 2008 and 2010. The scope of the MoU covers all the three services, envisaging cooperation in the field of military technical cooperation, logistics support and training. The MoU also stressed on joint activities, including maritime patrolling off the Mozambican coast, mutual training in military institutes, supply of defence equipment and services, establishment of partnerships and transfer of knowhow and technology for assembling and repair of vehicles, aircraft and ships and rehabilitation of military infrastructure.