Washington | India and the US have agreed to accelerate defence and national security ties as Defence Secretary James Mattis, at a meeting with Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman, asserted that the Trump Administration sees no contradiction between strategic autonomy and strategic partnership.
Sitharaman, the first woman defence minister of India, is currently on a five-day maiden trip to the US. From here, she travels to California to visit the Defense Innovation Unit of the Department of Defense and the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii.
βThe United States and India, in Prime Minister (Narendra) Modiβs work, have overcome hesitations of history, carrying forward the legacy of friendship and making clear there is no contradiction between strategic autonomy and strategic partnership,β Mattis said Monday as he welcomed Sitharaman at the Pentagon for a delegation-level meeting between the two leaders.
Having arrived in Washington DC Sunday, she started her official visit by visiting the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, where she signed on the condolence book of former US President George H W Bush. From there, she drove to the Arlington National Cemetery where she laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a gesture which did not go unnoticed at the Pentagon.
βOn behalf of our department and all of our service members, thank you for paying your nationβs respect at Arlington National Cemetery this morning. Weβre grateful,β Mattis said, welcoming the defence minister at the Pentagon, where she was given a red carpet welcome.
Mattis said Sitharamanβs presence at the wreath-laying made clear that the US-India military relations were not βdefined by brittle or empty wordsβ but by the human aspect of partnership steeped in recognition of the two nationsβ respective sacrifices and the cause of peace, friendship and freedom. The two largest democracies of the world, despite diverse histories and cultures, have shared principles, values and respect for the rules-based international order. βThe US-India relationship is a natural partnership between the worldβs oldest and the worldβs largest democracy,β he said.
While this is her first trip to Washington DC, the two leaders have met four times in about a year, reflecting on the growing defence relationship between India and the United States. βWe have made meaningful progress in advancing US-India defence cooperation, most notably with your nation hosting Septemberβs inaugural two-plus-two ministerial dialogue in New Delhi,β he said.
The ministerial talks served as a tangible demonstration of βour shared vision for a safe, secure, prosperous and free Indo-Pacific, underpinned by respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all nations,β Mattis said. βToday, I reiterate US appreciation for Indiaβs leadership as a stabilising force in pursuit of that vision, promoting peace and security across the region and the globe,β he said.
The defence secretary said the two-plus-two ministerial dialogue also made clear the commitment of India and the US to further bolster their defence partnership. βToday, we build on that momentum as we work to implement our agreement from September, Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA),β he added.
Describing the inaugural two-plus-two meeting in September as a landmark event, Sitharaman said it set the stage for strategic consultations between the two countries. βThe bilateral meetings during the two-plus-two dialogue in New Delhiβ and other meetings, including the one in Singapore in October, were indeed positive and productive, she added.
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