India and Benin have held high-level talks in Porto-Novo to strengthen bilateral cooperation across defence, health, agriculture, and economic sectors. The discussions took place between Indian Ambassador to Benin Abhishek Singh and Benin’s Vice President Mariam Chabi Talata.
Ambassador Singh conveyed greetings from Indian Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, as both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen friendly ties, expand development partnerships, and boost people-to-people exchanges.
Enhancing security collaboration was a key focus during Ambassador Singh’s separate meeting with Benin’s Minister Delegate for National Defence, Gildas Agonkan. Talks centered on capacity building, training assistance, and strengthening institutional partnerships. Beninese Armed Forces regularly take part in training courses in India under the ITEC program and participate in various military exercises.
This defense engagement was further underscored earlier this year when a Benin delegation, led by their Chief of the Naval Staff, participated in the International Fleet Review 2026 and MILAN 2026 maritime exercises in Visakhapatnam. Grounded in democratic and secular values, both nations continue to explore new avenues of cooperation for mutual benefit and shared prosperity.
