Rajnath Singh hails India's rising global credibility

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the rise in the country's reputation and credibility across the world and said India's taken more seriously at the global level now.

Addressing an event at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee convention centre in Lucknow on Saturday, he highlighted that people's concept of India is changing.

"India's reputation and credibility are rising. I have received opportunities of visiting several nations and talking to people there. I have visited the most developed nation several times. Listening to Americans fills me with pride, people's concept of India is changing," said Singh.

He further added that India is taken seriously on international platforms. "Earlier, when India spoke on an international platform, the world didn't take it seriously. Now, the concept has changed, today when India speaks on an international platform, people listen attentively," he added.

Earlier on Friday, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with his Tanzanian counterpart Stergomena Lawrence Tax and asserted that India considers Tanzania as a major Western Indian Ocean Player, adding that there is immense scope to boost defence and military cooperation between both the countries.

Taking to Twitter the Defence Minister wrote, "Reviewed the full range of India-Tanzania defence ties during the fruitful meeting with the Tanzanian Defence Minister, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax in New Delhi. India & Tanzania share the same strategic space. India considers Tanzania as a major Western Indian Ocean Player."

According to an official statement from the Ministry of Defence, "A wide range of issues concerning bilateral, regional and defence industrial cooperation were discussed during the meeting. The two Ministers reviewed the existing military-to-military activities and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in all domains with a focus on defence industry cooperation."

"Both the Ministers agreed to the formation of a Task Force to prepare a Five Year Future Road map for enhancing defence cooperation between both the countries and to hold the next Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Tanzania at an early date," the release further said.

After the meeting, both leaders exchanged gifts as a mark of a sweet gesture. (ANI)