Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reaffirmed India's commitment to the expansion of the "robust" defence partnership with the United States, adding he looks forward to making the India–US partnership one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
"The recent Leaders' Summit of India, USA, Japan and Australia under the Quad framework emphasised our resolve to maintain a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. We discussed the need for enhanced capacity building to address some of the non-traditional challenges such as oil spills and environmental disasters, drug trafficking, Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) fishing, etc," Singh said while making the joint statement along with US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III.
"We also plan to optimise the LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA Agreements and achieve their full potential to contribute to our security and prosperity," he said.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Austin on Friday discussed areas of mutual interest, strategic partnership and cooperation on various aspects of security and defence.
Earlier, Austin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed America's strong desire to further enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Austin, who arrived in the national capital on Friday, is on a three-day official visit to the country. It is the first visit to India by a top official of the Biden administration. (ANI)