Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the increasing closeness in ties between India and the U.S. while addressing the Indian diaspora in Washington.
Addressing the Indian Community in Washington DC, the Union Defence Minister—who is on an invitation by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for a four-day visit to the United States— said, "Being the two major democracies of the world, India and the United States are longstanding friends that have always worked together for the cause of world peace and prosperity.".
He laid stress on maintaining cultural values and loyalty to both India and the United States, also hailing to the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam that the country embraces. In his address on Thursdays, US time, the Union Minister asked Indians working here to be work dedicated and uphold their commitment to both nations.
"You should always be dedicated to India, but your commitment to America should also not be doubted," he said, emphasizing the fact that adherence to Indian culture is possible even for a person living in America.
He emphasized more on Indian philosophy, "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" which means the whole world is a large family, which he stated had its spiritual roots in India.
He pointed out at the rapid change India has seen in the last decade, which has altered India's global stature.
Two significant defence pacts signed between the Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defence are the Security of Supplies Arrangement and the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers.
The SOSA ensures reciprocal priority support for national defence, goods, and services between the two nations, aiming at mitigating supply chain disruptions. The countries also pledged to prioritize the critical defense procurement requirements of one another.
The itinerary for visiting the Defence Minister is also spread over four days, which includes a high-level roundtable with the US defence industry on reps on ongoing and future defence collaborations. He will hold bilateral talks with Secretary Austin and meets with Jake Sullivan, the Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs.
This visit also follows the fifth annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in November 2023, during which Washington reassured its support for New Delhi's military modernisation and for developing maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.
The India-United States Defence Innovation Ecosystem (INDUS) functions in creating an enabling environment for co-development and co-production for both countries.
The two countries have been engaging in periodic interactions under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, launched by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden in January 2023.
iCET is taken as a factor for going ahead with deepening the partnership on strategic lines between India and the United States.
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