Beginning his three-day India visit, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin on Friday said the breadth of Indo-US cooperation reflected the significance of “major defence partnership” as they work together to address the “most pressing” challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
Austin arrived here as part of his three-nation first overseas tour as the Defence Secretary, and the visit is seen as a reflection of the Joe Biden administration’s strong commitment to ties with its close allies and partners in the region. Austin visited Japan and South Korea before India.
In the evening, Austin called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Thrilled to be here in India. The breadth of cooperation between our two nations reflects the significance of our major defense partnership, as we work together to address the most pressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region,” he tweeted.