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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin and discussed the progress made in the India-US defence partnership, highlighting increased cooperation in defence operations, information sharing, and industrial innovation.
The meeting was held on Thursday on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. In a post on X after the meeting, the US Defence Secretary said, "Great meeting with Indian Defense Minister Singh in Laos. We're deepening our defence ties, from building interoperability through exercises like MALABAR to technology innovation through INDUS-X. Thank you, Minister Rajnath Singh, for your friendship and leadership." Rajnath Singh also posted about the meeting on his X platform stating, "It is always a matter of immense joy to meet my friend, Lloyd Austin. He has been a great friend to India. His contribution towards strengthening the India-US defence partnership has been exemplary." A statement by the Ministry of Defence further outlined the meeting's key points, with both sides acknowledging the advancements under the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap. The cooperation includes efforts to improve co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. According to MoD, Singh during the meeting recalled his visit to the US in August 2024, where two important agreements were signed - the Security of Supplies Agreement (SOSA) and a Memorandum of Agreement regarding the deployment of Liaison Officers. Both leaders then welcomed these agreements and underlined efforts to enhance military collaboration and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region. During the meeting, Defence Minister Singh also referred to the successful QUAD Summit held in September, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated. The statement added that Singh stressed the importance of working together on new initiatives such as the Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) and a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project. The leaders also expressed their support for the growing collaboration in defence innovation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions, encouraged by the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem. The two sides agreed to continue building on the momentum achieved over the past two and a half years. (ANI)
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