Rajnath holds bilateral meeting with US secretary of defence

The two leaders discussed growing bilateral defence engagements and issues of mutual interest. They also expressed their commitment to a strong India-US defence cooperation.

Singh said that there is a need for both the countries to work together for capability building in critical domains such as military aviation, artificial intelligence and cyber technology. “We are looking forward to building a roadmap towards greater defence industrial collaboration between India and US.”

He added that India has a growing expertise in aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and ship-building, repairs and refits. “There are specific areas where US defence companies can look for technology cooperation and manufacturing opportunities with Indian partners in India.”

The two leaders expressed their commitment towards an inclusive and rules-based Indo Pacific with freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded trade. They further discussed initiatives that can be taken to strengthen maritime cooperation between the two countries including in maritime domain awareness.

Both leaders also shared their perspectives on the regional security situation.

The Union Defence Minister was accompanied by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence.

India-U.S. bilateral relations have developed into a ‘global strategic partnership’, based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues. It is broad-based and multi-sectoral, covering trade and investment, defence and security, education, science and technology, cyber security, high-technology, civil nuclear energy, space technology and applications, clean energy, environment, agriculture and health.