The United States appreciated India’s efforts in the United Nations
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday and talks decided to further deepen the US-India strategic partnership.
Mattis, who is the first cabinet member from the Trump administration visiting India, attended a press conference along with the Indian Defense Minister and said that the US places great importance on building a vibrant partnership with India, the DoD News reported.
“This is a historic opportunity for our two democracies, a time of strategic convergence,” the defense department’s website quoted Mattis. “As India takes its rightful place at the global table, India will find the United States to be a steadfast friend and partner.”
Mattis asserted that “there can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens” anywhere, but did not specifically name Pakistan.
“We appreciate India’s stabilizing leadership in the Indian Ocean and seek to work together to build a resilient regional architecture with a foundation both our nations respect: that of a rules-based order,” he said.
The United States appreciated India’s efforts in the United Nations and the broader international community to increase pressure on North Korea, Mattis said.
The Secretary also pointed that the defense cooperation between the two nations has steadily grown in recent years, and the United States’ designation of India as a major defense partner reflects the progress of that cooperation and recognizes India as a “pillar of regional stability and security”.
India, however, asserted that the country will not contribute combat troops toward stabilizing and securing Afghanistan, but promised to further added that will provide its ongoing security, economic and development assistance to the war-torn country, Times of India reported.
“In addition to our growing global cooperation, the minister and I reaffirmed our commitment to deepen bilateral defense cooperation, in particular, expanding maritime engagement as one of our top priorities,” Mattis told the media in the press conference.
“I look forward, alongside Secretary of State [Res] Tilerson, to convening the inaugural two-plu-two dialogue in the near future between our foreign and defense ministers. ‘Steady engagement’ will be our watch words for the path ahead,” he added.