Sources said among other things, the Indian side is interested in naval systems that Italy specialises in, including a new set of minesweepers for the Indian Navy

by Manu Pubby

NEW DELHI: After an eight-year gap, a top defence ministry delegation is headed to Rome next week to revive ties that had taken a debilitating hit following the AgustaWestland chopper scandal and the controversial case of Italian marines shooting dead fishermen off the Kerala coast.

The delegation led by defence secretary Sanjay Mitra will look at areas for military cooperation, including the sale or joint development of arms and equipment, over two action packed days that include meetings with the Italian defence minister, the head of armaments and three service chiefs. The two sides are expected to exchange notes on mutual requirements and expectations.

However, arms companies have not been included in the joint defence committee meeting. The last time such a meeting took place was in 2010, when the Italians were hosted by India. Sources said among other things, the Indian side is interested in naval systems that Italy specialises in, including a new set of minesweepers for the Indian Navy. At least two previous attempts to procure these critical ships that keep ports and harbours free of enemy mines have failed and the navy has started a fresh search for these vessels.

Defence ties with Italy are being normalised after Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni visited India in October and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders discussed enhancing defence cooperation and agreed on a joint defence committee as well as interactions between Indian and Italian companies.

The Italian PM had expressed deep interest on the part of the Italian industry to participate in defence manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative and it was decided at the meeting to work on a technical arrangement on sharing of white shipping information between the two navies.

WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT

White shipping information relates to the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels that is provided in advance. The disruption in ties following the VVIP chopper scandal had led to Italy blocking India’s entry into the multi-nation Wassenaar Arrangement, which monitors and controls the export of arms and dual-use technologies.