US Rear Admiral Michael Baker said the US-India Major Defence Partnership was an anchor of global peace and security during his opening remarks at the symposium 'Partners in Progress,' attended by over 50 experts, on Monday.
Speaking at the symposium, co-hosted by the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and Christ University, Baker, with the support of the US Consulate General in Chennai, emphasized that both nations play a critical role in the Indo-Pacific region towards peace, stability, and economic inclusion.
“Our countries are making substantial progress through joint exercises, the reinforcement of defence industrial cooperation, the annual 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and other consultative mechanisms. These efforts contribute to progressing forward an advanced and comprehensive defence partnership, ensuring close coordination between our militaries across all domains,” he said.
In his keynote address, Indian Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna remarked, “At these troubled times when the world is going through struggles and contestations, the US and India have emerged as like-minded and trusted partners.
He further noted that cooperation in information sharing and maritime domain awareness is a priority for both nations. Bapna also pointed to future areas of collaboration, including cybersecurity, space, underwater technologies, and artificial intelligence.
“Information sharing and maritime domain awareness is a priority area of cooperation for both the countries. Looking ahead, the partnership is set to deepen further. Both countries are also expected to increase cooperation in areas of cybersecurity, space, underwater, and artificial intelligence," Bapna said.
The changing contours of the security landscape have only reinforced the need for a strong Indo-US naval partnership, as a measure of the underlying strength of our strategic relationship," he said.
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