DEFENCE FORCES URGED TO USE SKILLS IN OVERCOMING CHALLENGES - PS
THE defence forces must use their skills in finding solutions to the challenges facing the country, says Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Norman Chipakupaku.
Mr. Chipakupaku said Zambia must learn from India’s military as it has achieved a lot by identifying challenges facing the country and then devise corresponding solutions.
He was speaking at the defence exposition 2022 (DefExpo22) in the Indian state of Gujarat on Friday after inspecting some of the military equipment manufactured by India.
This is according to a statement by First Secretary Press at the Zambian High Commission in India, Bennie Mundando.
Mr Chipakupaku observed that the Indian defence forces have invested heavily in research and development that they are able to produce enough equipment from small arms to bigger artilleries, mainly based on their needs.
Mr. Chipakupaku also had a sideline meeting with India’s Defense Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar during which issues relating to training and capacity building were discussed in addition to the review of ongoing bilateral defence cooperation.
“What we have learnt is that we should use our skills to identify what our problems and needs are and try to learn and build or work with other people over the things we need. I think the equipment we have seen is mainly produced after identifying the problem,” Mr. Chipakupaku said.
And India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said his country is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Africa in every need from medicines to peace missions.
Speaking when he inaugurated the event, Mr. Modi said the current cooperation and coordination between India and Africa in the defence sector would give a new height of the relationship and add to his country’s growing influence in the international defence sector.
He said this affinity for Africa is still central to India's foreign policy, adding that to demonstrate this close relationship, when the whole world was worried about vaccines at the height of the Covid pandemic, India delivered them to its friendly African nations as a priority.