The agreement will enable companies to take part in the Security Action for Europe program

India and the European Union have signed a pact that lets the South Asian nation participate in the defense initiatives of EU member states.

The security and defense partnership (SDP) will allow Indian firms to take part in the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, NDTVreportedon Tuesday. The EU initiative is a 178 billion euro financial instrument set up to offer defense funding to member states.

The agreement makes India the third Asian nation to sign a dedicated defense and security partnership with the EU, after Japan and South Korea.

"The signing of the technology and defense partnership between India and the European Union is a reflection of this trust in action, and it brings us together in an increasingly complex global environment," Defense Minister Rajnath Singhsaid.

The security agreement focuses on modern security challenges and emerging defense domains, and is specifically linked to maritime, cybersecurity and counterterrorism efforts.

Singh said the deal would shift the dynamics of the procurement-based relationship India has maintained with the EU, making New Delhi a co-development partner in the technology and defense domains.

India and the EU had engaged in intense defense maneuvers last year, including joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Gulf of Aden.

Earlier this month, India and the United Arab Emiratessigneda letter of intent for a wider strategic defense partnership with security cooperation at its core.

Germany has called on India to reduce its "dependence" on Russian weapons. New Delhi, however, has maintained that its defense purchases are solely determined by its national interests.

India counts France, Israel, and the US as its key military suppliers besides Russia, on which it has relied for decades for key military hardware.

(RT.com)