EAM, Austin discuss defence coop

New Delhi, September 30

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington on Friday and held a “productive conversation” on deepening bilateral defence cooperation, including in the co-production of military hardware articles. He also met US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The minister had earlier met US NSA Jake Sullivan, US Trade Representative (USTR) Katerine Tai and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Austin said on X that they exchanged perspectives on a variety of security issues, including recent developments in East Asia and the Indian Ocean region. They also discussed streamlined logistics procedures to enhance operational cooperation and continued implementation of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem, said Pentagon’s Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. “Tai and Jaishankar shared views on India’s role in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework,” a statement mentioned.