South African Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federal Minister for Defence of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif, her department said on Monday.
The MoU on “Defence and Defence Industrial Cooperation” establishes a Joint Defence Committee which will pave the way for strengthening and diversifying through formal structures, collaborative programmes, exchange of information and training of the armed forces officers or soldiers, the department said.
“Acquisition of defence equipment as well as cooperation in Research and Development (R&D), Transfer of Technology, Co-production/Joint Ventures in public as well as private sector, also fall within the domain of the signed MoU,” the department said in a statement.
“Being the first ever visit of a Defence Minister from Democratic Republic of South Africa, the visiting dignitary called on Minister of Defence, Minister of Defence Production and Chief of Army Staff, wherein issues of bilateral interest were discussed.”
Mapisa-Nqakula was accompanied by a high level delegation and was visiting Pakistan from March 26 to March 29.
She expressed appreciation at the warm welcome and reception by her counterparts, and the department said that she was looking forward to further cooperation in the letter and spirit of the signed MoU.