Lloyd Austin Will Meet Rajnath Singh: US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin is visiting India next week. During this time he will meet his Indian counterpart Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. On this visit, the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, has informed that the modalities of materializing large defence partnerships between the two countries will be discussed. Defence relations between India and the US have gained momentum over the years and in June 2016, the US had described India as a ‘big defence partner’.
In the last few years, both countries have signed several important defence and security agreements. This includes the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement i.e. LEMOA in 2016. Under this, the armies of the two countries can use each other’s bases to repair and supply military equipment. Austin will go on a tour of India next week (Lloyd Austin India Visit). Before that, he will go to Japan and South Korea. For the first time, a top official of the Biden Administration is visiting India.
Austin will stay in India from 19-21 March
Defense Minister David F. Halevy, the assistant caretaker of the Indo Pacific Region security affairs, told reporters, “In India, he will meet Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders and discuss implementing major defence partnerships with India.” . This includes information sharing, regional defence agreement, defence trade and cooperation in new areas. In New Delhi, the Ministry of Defense said that the US Defense Minister Austin will be visiting India from March 19 to March 21.
‘India is an important strategic partner’
Halevy said that India is an important strategic partner. He said that the visit to India would provide an opportunity to exchange ideas with important allies, how to work together for a rule-based international system. Austin is scheduled to visit India a week after the first Digital Quad (QUAD) summit between President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga.