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The Biden administration will remain committed to a strong bilateral relationship with India, the Pentagon said, the day after the first address by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
“The Secretary made it very clear that we will remain committed to a strong bilateral relationship between the US and India,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday at a news conference here.
“Yesterday (they) had a good chat. They addressed a number of issues, including the reaction of our two nations to the coronavirus,’ said Kirby, responding to a question on the maiden phone call between Austin and Singh.
When the Senate confirmed him as US Defense Secretary on January 22, Retired General Austin became the first African-American to lead the Pentagon.
Austin pledged to work collaboratively with India to maintain progress in the bilateral defence relationship during his conversation with Singh on Wednesday, the Pentagon said earlier.
“During the call, Secretary Austin emphasised the Agency’s commitment to the US-India Major Defence Joint venture, observing that it is built upon shared values and a common interest in ensuring the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open,” Kirby said on Wednesday.
Over the past few years, the two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their military to use the bases of each other for supply repair and replenishment, as well as for deeper cooperation.
COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) was also signed by both parties in 2018, which provides for interoperability between the two military forces and provides for the sale to India of high-end technology from the US.
