In a post on the “X” platform, the US Secretary stated that the agreement “strengthens the defense partnership between Washington and New Delhi, and constitutes a fundamental pillar of stability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region,” adding: “We are working to expand coordination, information sharing, and technological cooperation, and our defense relations today are stronger than ever.”
The Indian Minister described his meeting with his American counterpart as “fruitful and constructive,” stressing that the agreement “opens a new chapter in the already strong defense partnership between the two countries,” and pointed out that the new cooperation framework “constitutes a comprehensive political reference for the course of future defense relations between India and the United States, and reflects the growing strategic convergence between the two sides.”
Singh also stated that “Defense cooperation will remain the fundamental pillar of bilateral relations,” and affirmed that the partnership between New Delhi and Washington is “a crucial element to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region based on international laws.”
The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the ASEAN and India Defence Ministers, in preparation for the “ASEAN Plus” Defence Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to be held on November 1 in Malaysia.
