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Rajnath to visit Italy, France to strengthen defence ties

New Delhi, Sep 23 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks during 'Mai Ramvanshi Hun' book release function, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Officials said the potential for joint development of military platforms will be part of Mr Singh’s discussions both in Rome and Paris…reports Asian Lite News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a four-day visit to Italy and France beginning Monday to expand bilateral strategic engagement and explore industrial cooperation for joint development of military hardware.

In the first leg of his two-nation tour, Singh will travel to Rome where he will hold wide-ranging talks with his Italian counterpart Guido Crisetto, according to the defence ministry. The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to the level of strategic partnership in March during the Italian prime minister’s visit to India.

“Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Italy and France from October 9 to 12, ” the ministry said.

In Paris, Singh will attend the fifth annual India-France defence dialogue with his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu.

“India and France recently celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership. Both countries enjoy a deep and wide-ranging bilateral defence relationship, including significant industrial cooperation,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

“In both Rome and Paris, the defence minister will also interact with the defence industry CEOs and senior representatives to discuss potential opportunities for industrial cooperation,” it said.

Officials said the potential for joint development of military platforms will be part of Mr Singh’s discussions both in Rome and Paris.

Meanwhile, Eric Trappier, the chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, is set to visit New Delhi this week to discuss various aspects of India’s proposed purchase of 26 naval variants of the Rafale aircraft, people familiar with the matter said.

They said Trappier arrives in Delhi on Monday on a two-day trip to hold preliminary negotiations on the procurement. However, there is no official announcement on the visit by Dassault Aviation.

The defence and strategic ties between India and France have been on an upswing in the last few years. In July, India and France announced a raft of ground-breaking defence cooperation projects including the joint development of jet and helicopter engines and construction of three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy.

The two strategic partners also expressed commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.

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India, Tanzania to elevate defence ties

Dar es Salaam, July 08 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Tanzania Foreign Minister Stergomena Lawrence Tax during the 10th India-Tanzania Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation, in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

President Samia will arrive at 5:15 pm and later will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at 6:30 pm…reports Asian Lite News

Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Yusuf Makamba has said that during Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s India visit, the two countries will elevate their defence relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

“In this visit, we will elevate our relationships to a comprehensive strategic partnership with four pillars. One is a development corporation. Two, maritime security, three, defence corporation and four, trade investment…” the Tanzanian Foreign Affairs Minister said.

“In defence, there are many areas and we have been working with the Indian defence sector for a while now in terms of training, and exchange of knowledge. Hardware will be part of the future arrangement. There is a foundation of cooperation and it’s part of the four pillars of strategic partnership we want to have with India,” he added.

The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan will be arriving in New Delhi today for a four-day state visit during which she will participate in bilateral meetings and exchange MoUs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

President Samia will arrive at 5:15 pm and later will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at 6:30 pm.

Meanwhile, Makamba while speaking on the IIT Campus in Zanzibar, said: “It is very very significant as you know the IIT is a very reputable institution in India. It has produced world-class renowned technology entrepreneurs. The willingness of India to open this…is very important for us.”

He further said that: “It is a leap of faith for India to do this. We appreciate the significance and symbolic value of this that India is keen on exporting its model of success in creating engineers, technicians and technology entrepreneurs. It is very important for us as it is in line with our development objectives.”

The minister while speaking on the African Union’s inclusion in G20, said this is very good and that India has had a historic role as champion of the global south.

“Back in the ’60s and even farther back in the ’50s, India worked with Africa to struggle for independence and liberation of Southern Africa. India and Africa saw eye to eye in many important liberation and anti-colonialism matters. It was part of our Nine Aligned Movement and India was part of the global south,” he said.

“What we are happy about is that as India ascends into a position of global influence, it has kept its faith and is loyal to the cause of the global south. India now gets to sit at the big table, G20, and still remember that it’s important that countries of the south also have a voice in the big table. So the advocacy of India to include the African Union in the G20 was very well received in Africa, and it’s an appreciation of India’s important role as a champion of the Global South,” he added. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Indian Army Chief Meets Top Tanzanian Defence Brass

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Indian Army Chief Meets Top Tanzanian Defence Brass

General Manoj Pande laid a wreath at the Commonwealth War Memorial in Dar-es-Salaam and paid obeisance to the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the First World War….reports Asian Lite News

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande on Monday met  Tanzanian Defence Minister Stregomena Lawerence Tax and Chief of Defence Force General Jacob John Mkunda. The two sides held discussions on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation and strengthening bonds of friendship between the armies of India and Tanzania.

General Manoj Pande also laid a wreath at the Commonwealth War Memorial in Dar-es-Salaam and paid obeisance to the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the First World War.

In a post shared on X, Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD stated, “On arrival in #Tanzania, General Manoj Pande #COAS laid a wreath at Commonwealth War Memorial in Dar-es-Salaam and paid obeisance to the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during WW-I. General Manoj Pande #COAS was also presented an impressive Guard of Honour by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces.”

In another post on X, Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD stated, “General Manoj Pande #COAS called on Tanzanian Defence Minister Hon’ble Dr. Stregomena Lawerence Tax and General Jacob John Mkunda, Chief of Defence Force #CDF, #TPDF. Discussions on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation and strengthening Bonds of Friendship between the two Armies were carried out. #COAS also gifted #MadeinIndia Infantry Simulator and Bullet Proof Jackets to Tanzania People’s Defence Forces #TPDF during the meeting.”

General Manoj Pande is on an official visit to Tanzania from October 2-5. During his visit, General Pande is likely to call on Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the Ministry of Defence, said in a press release.

General Pande will also be visiting Zanzibar and call on Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. Furthermore, he will have interaction with the Commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade General Saidi Hamisi Saidi.

General Manoj Pande will also be addressing the National Defence College and interacting with Major General Wilbert Augustine Ibuge Commandant and the faculty. A meeting with Brigadier General Stephen Justice Mnkande, Commandant of the Command and Staff College, Duluti is also planned during the visit.

The visit also coincides with the 2nd India Tanzania Mini DEFEXPO being conducted at Dar-es-Salaam which will showcase the growing prowess of the Indigenous defence industry complex of India.

Ministry of Defence in the press release said, “The bilateral defence relationship between India and Tanzania has been robust and thriving. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation in October 2003 laid a strong foundation. This cooperation was further underscored by the second meeting of the India-Tanzania Joint Defence Cooperation Committee held in Arusha, Tanzania on 28th and 29th June this year.”

The two armies offer vacancies for each other in professional military courses. This has helped the personnel from both nations build strong bonds, exchange ideas and share best practices.

“The Tanzanian Army has been consistently participating in the UN Peacekeeping training in India over the last five years. Similarly, a Training Team of the Indian Army has been deployed at Command and Staff College, Duluti since the year 2017,” the Ministry of Defence said in the press release.

Tanzanian military delegations have been regularly visiting India symbolising the deep military cooperation between both countries, according to the press release.

“In the recent past, Tanzanian delegations made a notable presence at Aero India 23, Indo Africa Army Chiefs Conclave-23 and AFINDEX-23. Senior military leaders from Tanzania also visited India during Def Expo 22 and recently concluded the 13th IPACC, 47th IPAMS and 9th SELF 23,” the Ministry of Defence said in the press release.

This visit of General Manoj Pande consolidates the high-level bilateral defence engagements and close defence ties shared between India and Tanzania. The visit promises to celebrate the existing collaborations and pave the way for a stronger future partnership. (ANI)

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Romanian Defence Minister confirms finding drone wreckage

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also denied those claims on Tuesday, saying that the attacks were “verified 800 meters (yards) from our border, so very, very close…reports Asian Lite News

Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tilvar has confirmed that parts of what could be a drone were found in the country’s southeastern Tulcea County neighbouring Ukraine.

“Parts of equipment that could potentially be a drone” have been found in an area difficult to access because of abundant vegetation, he said on Wednesday after visiting the area.

“Our teams went there, took samples … and now these samples are being investigated, analysed … to find out the origin, capacity, type and so on,” he added.

“There is a reasonable possibility that it didn’t explode when it hit the ground, but simply fell or pieces of this equipment ended up on Romanian territory …,” Tilvar was quoted by the official Agerpres news agency as saying.

Earlier, Defence Ministry spokesperson Constantin Spinu said the possible drone parts were discovered on Tuesday night.

Tilvar’s comments come after Romania’s Ministry of National Defense “categorically denied” claims made on Monday by the spokesperson of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, who said that Shahed drones launched by Russia on Sunday night fell and exploded on Romanian territory.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also denied those claims on Tuesday, saying that the attacks were “verified 800 meters (yards) from our border, so very, very close.”

On Wednesday, Iohannis responded to the minister’s comments by saying he had requested an “urgent investigation.”

“If it is confirmed that these elements come from a Russian drone, such a situation would be completely inadmissible and a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Romania, a NATO allied state,” he said at the Three Seas Initiative summit in Bucharest.

Romania briefed its NATO allies Wednesday about the find at a meeting of the 31-nation organization’s envoys in Brussels.

“The Romanian authorities have confirmed that debris, possibly from a drone, has been found on Romanian soil, close to the border with Ukraine,” NATO spokesperson Dylan White said in a statement.

“Allies expressed strong solidarity with Romania,” White said. “We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our ally Romania.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year in February, there has been only one other recorded incident of the war spilling into a NATO member state. That was when a missile struck a farm in Poland, killing two people. Polish officials later said it appeared to be unintentional and was probably launched by air defenses in neighboring Ukraine.

“In a fairly short period of time there were a series of attacks that Russia made against Ukrainian port facilities and warehouses,” Tilvar said. “Which is why I think it is important to strengthen vigilance measures.”

ALSO READ-New attacks on Ukraine very close to NATO-member Romania’s border

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Rustem Umerov Takes Helm as Ukraine’s New Defence Minister

Umerov’s nomination, which was submitted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was supported by 338 lawmakers in the 450-seat Assembly, Zheleznyak added on Wednesday in a post on Telegram…reports Asian Lite News

The Ukrainian Parliament has approved a legislation to appoint Rustem Umerov as the country’s new Defence Minister, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.

Umerov’s nomination, which was submitted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was supported by 338 lawmakers in the 450-seat Assembly, Zheleznyak added on Wednesday in a post on Telegram.

Umerov, 41, served as the head of the country’s main privatisation fund between September 2022 and September 2023, Xinhua news agency reported.

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UK, India hold first defence, military tech cooperation workshop

The workshop, held within this closed-door track 1.5 format, attracted high-level participation, including a drop-in by UK National Security Adviser (NSA) Sir Tim Barrow…reports Asian Lite News

Senior government officials, sectoral experts and industry representatives came together in London for a first-of-its-kind discussion to explore synergies between India and the UK in the defence and military technology sector and work as a catalyst to enhance bilateral cooperation in the sphere.

The UK-India Defence and Military Technology Cooperation workshop, organised by the London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in partnership with India’s Bharat Shakti defence platform on Tuesday, explored collaborative defence research and industrial production partnerships between the two countries.

It covered topics such as the ‘Evolving strategic context of UK-India defence relations’, ‘Perspectives on India’s Atmanirbhar programme and the UK’s defence technology partnerships’ and boosting military and manufacturing partnerships against the backdrop of the India-UK 2030 Roadmap’s focus on ‘Defence and Security’ as a key pillar of bilateral ties.

“This is very much part of what we are trying to achieve in the relationship, to move the strategic and defence pillar forward,” said Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami, who delivered the opening remarks at the workshop.

“It is eminently doable and within our reach. The presence of so many distinguished folks suggests that there is a forward-leaning approach of His Majesty’s government, and I can assure you it is fully reciprocated. We do want to develop this pillar further,” he said during a post-event reception at India House in London.

A new, ambitious strategic collaborative partnership on research, innovation, technology and industry to develop transformational defence and security capabilities was flagged within the India-UK 2030 Roadmap, signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, in May 2021. Last week, a Defence Command Paper noted that the UK sought to “deepen industrial partnerships, move capability collaboration to new levels, and explore shared export opportunities”, to build on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap. “Yet, collaborative defence research and industrial production partnerships between the two countries remain, I believe, underwhelming; especiallyat a time when India is fast undertaking such ventures with the US and France. Clearly, much more could and needed to be done,” said Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South and Central Asia at IISS, who led the new initiative.

“The single most important objective of the workshop is to serve as a catalyst for change in the India-UK defence relationship by building mutual trust and identifying key opportunities for defence research collaboration and defence industrial partnerships,” he said.

“This is to take place through a more sophisticated understanding of the evolving convergences in their respective foreign and security policies; identifying mutual defence capabilities and limitations along with national technological priorities; seeking to overcome challenges to building collaborative defence industrial partnerships; and ensuring a continuous process of high-level informal ‘track 1.5’ engagement between both countries,” he added.

The workshop, held within this closed-door track 1.5 format, attracted high-level participation, including a drop-in by UK National Security Adviser (NSA) Sir Tim Barrow.

It is expected to become a regular feature in the bilateral calendar, with the next edition planned for New Delhi early next year and a third follow-up in London.

The key players at the workshop included Ambassador P.S. Raghavan, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), Government ofIndia; Matthew Collins, UK’s Deputy NSA (Intelligence, Defence and Security); Dr Ajay Kumar, India’s former Defence Secretary and Defence Production Secretary; Shimon Fhima, Director, Strategic Programmes, and David Williams, Permanent Secretary, at the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Other experts joining the workshop sessions included Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, former Scientific Advisor to India’s Defence Minister and former chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO); Conrad Banks, Chief Engineer, Defence Future Programmes, Rolls-Royce; Nitin Gokhale, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Bharat Shakti; Ashok Atluri, Chairman and Managing Director, Zen Technologies Limited; and Richard McCallum, CEO, UK India Business Council (UKIBC).

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Canberra hosts India-Australia defence policy talks

The two democracies have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region, the Ministry of Defence noted…reports Asian Lite News

With defence emerging as a key pillar of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two sides are now exploring ways to strengthen the partnership in co-development and co-production of defence equipment. The issue was discussed during the 8th India-Australia Defence Policy Talks (DPT) held held in Canberra, Australia on July 24-25, 2023.

Both sides reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries and explored new initiatives to further strengthen and deepen bilateral defence engagements, India’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday (July 26, 2023). “The discussions also focused on identifying ways to strengthen partnership in co-development and co-production of defence equipment,” the ministry pointed out.

India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in June 2020, based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and rule of law. Additionally, the Indian side highlighted the potential of the Indian defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with Australian Armed forces in its shipbuilding and maintenance plans.

India and Australia’s partnership is based on a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. The two democracies have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region, the Ministry of Defence noted.

Significantly, the two countries have a 2+2 mechanism at the Ministerial level to facilitate formal discussions on issues of mutual interest. The 8th DPT reviewed the outcomes of maiden 2+2 conducted in September 2021. Both sides agreed for early finalization of a hydrography agreement. The two sides also exchanged views on the geo-political situation, regional and global issues of shared interest, the Ministry of Defence said.

It may be recalled that closer cooperation in defence and security as well as trade and investment was on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Sydney on May 24, 2023. During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed cooperation in mining and critical minerals, which has become an area of focus for India over the past few years.

Earlier, on March 3, 2023, Prime Minister Modi had described defence as an important pillar of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister Modi made the remarks after meeting PM Albanese in New Delhi.

Barely a month later, India’s Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande proceeded on a four-day visit to Australia for a series of meetings with the country’s top military leadership aimed at boosting defence cooperation between the Armed Forces of the two nations.

Australia-India defence cooperation has been on an upward trajectory with a series of diverse engagements at different levels, in various domains. These include bilateral visits by senior officers, reciprocal courses of instructions and training exercises, among others.

The inaugural joint exercise between army contingents of the two countries, Austra-Hind 23, was held in Rajasthan in November 2022. This saw the participation of all arms and services from contingents of the armies of both the countries. The bilateral exercise will be an annual event that alternates between Australia and India. (India News Network)

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India’s defence influence grows in Southeast Asia

With office in Malaysia, Indian defence major HAL establishes footprint in South-East Asia as India and Malaysia are identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation…reports Asian Lite News

In a major step towards harnessing the potential of India’s defence exports, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Regional Office of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday (July 11, 2023).

The regional office will facilitate close defence industrial collaboration between India and Malaysia. It will also serve as a hub for HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian region and act as a window for other Indian Defence Public Sector Units (PSUs), India’s Ministry of Defence said.

On Monday (July 10, 2023), Defence Minister Singh held extensive discussions on strengthening bilateral ties with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur. He also called on Malaysian Prime Ministe YB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, besides meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Diraja Zambry Abd Kadir.

This was his first bilateral visit after the establishment of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership, which was announced during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in 2015.

Talks between the two Defence Ministers covered initiatives to further expand bilateral defence ties, with particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation.

INTERACTION WITH THE INDIAN DIASPORA

Malaysia is home to the second largest members of Persons of Indian Origin PIOs) and has a significant presence of the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) community. While in Kuala Lumpur, Defence Minister Singh interacted with the Indian diaspora on two different occasions.

During the first event, he appreciated the rich legacy of Indian classical art tradition in Malaysia as witnessed in the presentations of Odissi dance as well as the Carnatic and Hindustani music performances by renowned Malaysian artistes.

In a separate event, Defence Minister Singh interacted with the members of the diverse and vibrant Indian community in Malaysia, including the leaders and members of various Indian community organisations in the country. He appreciated their deep-rooted and close connect with India.

His other engagements included visiting the Ramakrishna Mission in Petaling Jaya and offering floral tribute to the statue of Swami Vivekananda which was unveiled by Prime Minister Modi in November 2015. He also visited the iconic Batu Caves temple premises and offered his prayers.

In addition, the Indian Defence Minister paid a visit to the Torana Gate at Brickfields, a symbol of friendship between India and Malaysia, which was also inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in November 2015. He later visited Kortumalai Ganesar Temple, Kuala Lumpur and offered prayers to Bhagwan Ganesh.

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Sweden boosts defence spending to meet NATO target

The Swedish government decided to seek NATO membership in May 2022…reports Asian Lite News

Sweden will increase its defence budget by 20 per cent next year, in order to meet the NATO target of 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Minister for Defense Pal Jonson said.

The defence budget will be upped by 20 billion kronor ($1.86 billion) to reach 117 billion kronor in 2024, reports Xinhua news agency citing Swedish Television (SVT)  as saying.

For 2025, the government plans to increase the budget by a further 12 billion kronor, SVT reported.

“We will reach 2.1 per cent (of the GDP) according to NATO’s definition,” Jonson told SVT.

“This is absolutely necessary as the Armed Forces are facing higher costs due to increasing fuel costs and inflation,” the Minister added.

The Swedish government decided to seek NATO membership in May 2022.

So far, NATO member states Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Sweden as a member. 

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Talks on 2 key defence pacts to be launched

The Secretary and Minister Singh also pledged to review regulatory hurdles impeding closer industry-to-industry cooperation and to initiate negotiations on these agreements, the Pentagon said…reports Asian Lite News

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin concluded his India visit on Monday with both countries taking new steps to strengthen their defence partnership.

The importance of defence innovation remained one of many keynote points of discussions during Austin’s visit, the US Department of Defence said. During his meetings with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the US Secretary and his counterparts exchanged perspectives on a range of regional security issues and committed to collaborating closely with India in support of the US shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During the meeting between Austin and Singh, the two countries decided to launch negotiations for two crucial agreements related to the Security of Supply Arrangement and a Reciprocal Defence Procurement in an effort to establish stable supply chains of arms and equipment.

The Secretary and Minister Singh also pledged to review regulatory hurdles impeding closer industry-to-industry cooperation and to initiate negotiations on these agreements, the Pentagon said.

Austin was on a two-day visit to India arrived in New Delhi from an official visit to Singapore.

During bilateral talks between Austin and Singh, both countries were able to conclude a new roadmap for US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation, which “shall guide the policy direction for the next few years,” according to a statement by the Indian Defence Ministry statement.

The roadmap will fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas such as air combat and land mobility systems; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; munitions; and the undersea domain.

“This initiative aims to change the paradigm for cooperation between US and Indian defence sectors, including a set of specific proposals that could provide India access to cutting-edge technologies and support India’s defence modernization plans,” the Department of Defence readout said.

Austin arrived in India on Sunday to reinforce the major defence partnership and advance cooperation in critical domains between India and the US ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s official state visit to Washington later this month.

The Secretary and his counterparts also discussed the growing importance of defence innovation and cooperation in emerging domains such as space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence.

They praised the recent launch of a new Advanced Domains Defence Dialogue and committed to expanding the scope of bilateral defence cooperation to encompass all domains.

They also welcomed the establishment of the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), a new initiative to advance cutting-edge technology cooperation. The initiative, which the U.S.-India Business Council will launch on June 21, is designed to complement existing government-to-government collaboration by promoting innovative partnerships between U.S. and Indian companies, investors, start-up accelerators, and academic research institutions, the official release of US Department of Defence read.

Moreover, Lloyd Austin and Rajnath Singh also committed to strengthen operational collaboration across all military services, with an eye to supporting India’s leading role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific.

“They talked about fresh possibilities for enhancing information sharing and increase cooperation in the maritime domain. On this point, Secretary Austin welcomed India’s leading position in the Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative (IPMDA), which would give nations throughout the Indo-Pacific region cutting-edge domain awareness capability,” the US Department of Defence said.

“In his meeting with National Security Advisor Doval, the Secretary exchanged views about regional and global security issues of concern, including maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region,” the Pentagon said.

The Secretary welcomed Doval’s perspective about shared security interests and objectives, including his ideas for greater maritime collaboration, it said.

In all of his engagements, the Secretary underscored the centrality of the US-India partnership to maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the US Department of Defence said. (ANI)

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