Foreign Secretary Kwatra Meets Senior Pentagon Official, Discusses Defence Ties

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met with US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Colin Kahl and the two senior officials discussed initiatives to advance bilateral defence cooperation and emphasised the importance of the ‘India-US Major Defence Partnership,’ which has helped shape the Indo-Pacific region’s future.

On Monday, Kwatra met with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to discuss Indo-US ties and ways to advance bilateral security and regional cooperation, as well as the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and Ukraine.

According to a media release, Kahl and Kwarta discussed initiatives to advance bilateral defence cooperation ahead of Tuesday's next 2+2 Ministerial meeting in New Delhi.

“It was a pleasure meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Amb Vinay Mohan Kwatra this afternoon. We discussed a range of bilateral initiatives to advance the US-India defence partnership and promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Kahl tweeted.

“The two leaders exchanged views on developments related to mutual security interests, including in the Indian Ocean Region and Europe,” said Pentagon Spokesman Lt Col David Herndon.

“The conversation spanned a range of issues including deepening Navy-to-Navy cooperation, particularly in the undersea domain, expanding information sharing and logistics cooperation to facilitate operational coordination between the US and Indian militaries and accelerating India's indigenous defence production through bilateral defence industrial cooperation and partnership in emerging defence domains,” Herndon said.

Since its inception in 2018, the 2+2 Ministerial has enabled the United States and India to work toward establishing an advanced, comprehensive defence partnership capable of meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century.

According to the Pentagon, the US has a very close partnership and defence relationship with India, and the two countries will continue to work together to further develop that relationship.

In 2016, the United States designated India as a “Major Defence Partner,” a designation that allows India to purchase more advanced and sensitive technologies from the United States on par with the United States’ closest allies and partners, and ensures long-term cooperation.

In the face of China's increasing military manoeuvres in the region, India, the United States, and several other world powers have discussed the importance of ensuring a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific.

Kwatra arrived in Washington, DC on Sunday night from New York.