Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks to US counterpart Lloyd Austin, commits to deepen defence ties

The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on January 27, 2021, spoke to the new Defence Secretary of the United States Lloyd Austin. During the conversation, both the leaders exchanged views on the global and regional issues of mutual interest.

The was the first high-level engagement between India and the United States after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the US on January 20. The Defence Minister also congratulated Lloyd Austin on his appointment as US Defence Secretary.

The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while informing about the introductory phone call from US Defence Secretary, mentioned that the firm commitment to deepening the India-US Defence Cooperation was reiterated during the talks.

Spoke with my US counterpart, @SecDef Austin & conveyed my warm wishes on his appointment.
We reiterated our firm commitment to deepen India-US defence cooperation. We exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest to strengthen our strategic partnership.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 27, 2021

Defence Partnership commitment:

According to the Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, during the phone conversation, Lloyd Austin emphasized Washington’s commitment to India-US major defence partnership while observing that it has been built upon the common interest and shared values in ensuring the Indo-Pacific region remains open and free.

Defence Secretary Austin also noted the great strides that have been made in this defence partnership and he pledged to further work in collaboration with the Defence Minister of India to sustain the progress.

As per the release by the Defence Ministry, the ministers of India and the US reaffirmed their commitment to working together to strengthen the multifaceted India-US defence cooperation as well as the strategic partnership. The two leaders discussed regional, bilateral, and global issues.

Indo-US Defence ties:

• The defence ties between India and the US have been on an upswing. In June 2016, the US had also designated India as a ‘Major Defence Partner’.

• In 2016, the two nations inked the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement. It allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for the replenishment of supplies and repair as well as for deeper cooperation.

• In 2018, they signed Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement-COMCASA. It provides for interoperability between the militaries of India and the US and also provides for the sale of high-end technology from the United States to India.

• The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement have also been sealed by India and the US for further boosting bilateral defence ties. It provides for sharing of logistics, high-end military technology, and geospatial maps between two nations.