New Delhi: Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Colin Kahl co-chaired the 17th meeting of the India-US Defence Policy Group (DPG) in Washington today, during which they discussed military-to-military cooperation, implementation of defence agreements, among other things.
The meeting was cordial and productive. The two sides reviewed the progress made in furthering defence industrial cooperation and operationalising the India-US Major Defence Partnership. Important aspects such as military-to-military cooperation, implementation of foundational defence agreements, exercises and the ongoing & future cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean Region were discussed, a statement said.
Considerable focus was given on the ways and means to enhance defence industrial cooperation, including technology partnership, long-term research & development and improving supply chain security.
The meeting also discussed promoting co-development and co-production in India including potential areas and projects where Indian and US defence companies could work together. They agreed to encourage both the private and government stakeholders to utilise the innovation ecosystems and promote defence start-ups.
The DPG is the apex official-level mechanism between Ministry of Defence, India and US Department of Defence. It comprehensively reviews and guides all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation with a focus on policy, it said.
Indian Ambassador in the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in a tweet said:
“On the eve of India-US Defence Policy Group discussions, delighted to host Defence Secretary @giridhararamane, former US Secretary Defence Cohen, @SECNAV Del Toro, Senior officials from Administration and friends of the bilateral defence partnership from across the spectrum.”
UNI
