U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, who is on an official visit to India, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi earlier today.
Secretary Austin conveyed greetings of President Biden to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister welcomed the warm and close relationship between the two countries, which is rooted in shared values of democracy, pluralism and commitment to a rules-based order.
Prime Minister outlined his vision for the strategic partnership between the two countries and emphasized the important role of bilateral defence cooperation in India-US ties. He requested Secretary Austin to convey his best wishes to President Biden.
Secretary Austin reiterated the U.S. Government’s continued commitment towards strengthening the bilateral defence relations between the two countries. He expressed US’s strong desire to further enhance the strategic partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Pleasure to meet U.S. @SecDef Lloyd Austin today. Conveyed my best wishes to @POTUS @JoeBiden. India and US are committed to our strategic partnership that is a force for global good. pic.twitter.com/Z1AoGJlzFX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 19, 2021