Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense, has expressed admiration for the significant role played by the Indian Navy in conducting anti-piracy operations within the Indian Ocean region. This commendation came during a recent phone discussion with India's Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, where both officials touched upon various bilateral, regional security, and defense cooperation matters.
In their conversation, they reviewed recent bilateral events, including the INDUS-X Summit held in New Delhi in February 2024, and the ongoing bilateral Tri-Service exercise 'Tiger Triumph,' which commenced in India on March 18, 2024. Furthermore, the two ministers explored avenues to effectively implement the India-US Defence Cooperation Roadmap, which was finalized the previous year. Additionally, they briefly addressed defense industrial cooperation topics, such as the possibility of US naval ship repairs in Indian shipyards.
The meeting marks their latest interaction since their last encounter in New Delhi during the India-US Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue in November 2023. This ongoing dialogue underscores the growing partnership between India and the United States in matters of defense and security.
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