US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl on Friday (local time) co-chaired the 16th US-India Defense Policy Group alongside Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar and discussed bilateral priorities and regional issues.
All the diplomats have laid the groundwork for an important 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year, informed a statement issued by the US Department of Defense.
According to the statement, the dialogue advanced an ambitious set of bilateral priorities - including information-sharing, high-end maritime cooperation, logistics, and defense trade - reflective of the flourishing defense ties between the United States and India.
The US and Indian officials exchanged views on regional issues of shared interest, including in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region. They also discussed opportunities for enhanced cooperation with like-minded partners to sustain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The leaders reinforced their commitment to deepening joint cooperation and interoperability between the US and Indian militaries to work more seamlessly together, including strengthening cooperation in new defense domains, such as space and cyber.
The dialogue laid the groundwork for an important 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year, as the United States and India open a new chapter in the Major Defense Partnership, the Department of Defense statement concluded.
( With inputs from ANI )
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