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BIG STORY NOVEMBER 17, 2023 | The Indian Eye 5

surrounding the meeting were all in- Defense partnership has made tre-
dicative of the enduring commitment mendous forward strides in the past
of the bilateral partnership, particu- year, including the US-India Defense
larly importantly our desire to work Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
together to expand this partnership In his remarks at the bilater-
further and to deepen it more”. al with his Indian counterpart, Ra-
He further highlighted about the jnath Singh, Austin said, “We made
intensity of diplomatic engagement a tremendous stride forward in our
between India and the United States defense partnership over this past
especially this year. “We have had year, including the US-India Defense
two very high heads of the state visit; Industrial Cooperation Roadmap,
Prime Minister Modi had a historic and we concluded that roadmap
visit to the US in June this year. And during my visit in June. In just 5 short
more recently, we had the honor of months, we’ve made significant prog-
welcoming President Biden on a suc- ress on that roadmap, and our oper-
cessful visit to India on the occasion of ational cooperation is also moving
G20 Summit,” Kwatra said. from strength to strength.”
The India-US 2+2 Dialogue “Our militaries are conduct-
holds “great significance” against the ing increasingly complex exercises
backdrop of a “volatile” global scenar- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ahead of and building greater interoperability
io, said Defense Secretary, Giridhar across all domains. I look forward to
Aramane, while emphasizing the crit- the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi on Friday (ANI) discussing all these topics today as we
ical role of the meeting in exploring take stock of our accomplishments.
avenues for “upholding international ian assistance can be looked at very G20 summit. The dialogue today will I’m glad that we will also discuss new
law” and providing “humanitarian as- closely and in a mutually comfortable be an opportunity to advance the vi- ways to further strengthen the major
sistance”. fashion,” stated Defense Secretary sion of our respective leaders. Build- defense partnership,” Austin added.
He also said that the India-US Aramane. ing a forward-looking partnership Earlier in the day, the US Secre-
partnership is of utmost importance He also recalled PM Modi’s visit while we construct a shared global tary of Defense noted that India and
to peace and stability in the immedi- to US in June earlier this year, which agenda,” Jaishankar said at the 2+2 Washington, have over the past year
ate neighborhood, but also to the con- led to new initiatives between the dialogue. made “impressive gains” in building a
nected regions. two countries and called the 2+2 di- The Defense Secretary also said defense partnership.
The India-US defense coopera- alogue, a “continuation of important that the investor meeting between the He called it “important” that In-
tion has become a “rock solid support” steps” taken during that visit. US and India held on Thursday held a dia and US exchange views, find com-
to the bilateral relations between During the dialogue, EAM Jais- “very deep dialogue”. mon goals and deliver for the people
the two countries, Aramane added. hankar also said that Prime Minister “The innovative ecosystem had of the two nations in the face of the
At the dialogue, Austin said the Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US a very deep dialogue. The investors urgent global challenges.
India-US Defense partnership has had opened a new chapter in the In- and the innovators had heart-to-heart In his opening remarks at the
made tremendous forward strides in dia-US relationship. talks. Under the direction of the DIU India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue,
the past year, including the US-In- “The highlight this year was the from the US and the DiO of the Min- Austin said, “We are meeting at a time
dia Defense Industrial Cooperation PM’s state visit to the United States istry of Defense India, this partner- of great momentum. The US and In-
Roadmap. in June; it has opened a new chapter ship will give the necessary dynamism dia partnership in the face of urgent
The Defense Secretary of India, in our relationship. President Biden’s for Indian industry, enabling them global challenges, it’s more important
while addressing a media briefing fol- visit to Delhi in September contribut- to become parts of the global supply than ever that the world’s two larg-
lowing the dialogue, underscored the ed immensely to the positive trajecto- chain,” he said, addressing the media. est democracies exchange views, find
“potential collaboration” in emerging ry of our ties. His support was key to US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd common goals, and deliver for our
domains for civilian commercial use ensuring productive outcomes at the Austin, on Friday said the India-US people. We’ve made impressive gains
as well as for strategic use, which was in building our major defense partner-
also a topic of common interest. ship over the past year, and that will
“In essence, the defense coopera- help us contribute even more togeth-
tion has become a rock-solid support er to the cause of peace and stability.”
for the bilateral relations between the Austin stated that the scope of
two countries. The potential collabo- India-US cooperation is vast, add-
ration in emerging domains for the ci- ing that the strength of the US-In-
vilian commercial... How the defense dia partnership is rooted in the peo-
industries can intersect each other’s ple-to-people ties, which he stressed
interests and promote each other in is the heart of the friendship between
this particular context of strong bi- the two nations.
lateral ties was also a matter of great The 2+2 dialogue has emerged
focus,” he said. as a platform for top-level discussions
“This 2+2 is a continuation of the between the US and India, addressing
important steps taken during that vis- critical bilateral and global matters,
it...Especially in the regional and glob- with special emphasis on developments
al scenario, when the situation is very unfolding in the Indo-Pacific region.
volatile, the visit of the dignitaries In 2024, both India and US will
from the US is of great significance. It have elections and new governments
affords an opportunity to review the Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan receive US but the bilateral relations between the
security and see how the upholding Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI) two countries are on a trajectory that
of international law and humanitar- is unlikely to change.

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