India, Germany to sign defence pact

India and Germany will sign a defence cooperation agreement encompassing training and technology transfers that will pave the way for joint development and production of military equipment.

The agreement will be concluded during the visit of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is in Berlin on a two-day trip.

The pact on defence cooperation will be the latest in a series of such agreements to be signed by India. Earlier, it had signed similar agreements with South Africa, France, Russia and England.

Germany and India are keen on cooperation on joint exercises and greater interaction between their armed forces.

Mukherjee has held talks with Techology and Economics Minister Michael Gloss and is scheduled to meet his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung.

Earlier, Mukherjee visited the Zehrenedorf Indian cemetery where he paid homage to 206 Indian soldiers killed in Europe during World War I.

Mukherjee arrived in Germany after a trip to France where he held talks with senior leaders, including Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and visited key military installations.

His visit to Germany was cut short by a day and Mukherjee will return to Delhi Thursday night.