Biden administration committed to strengthening relations with India, assu

Washington: The new US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, clarified that the Biden administration is committed to strengthening India-US relations. Pentagon informed that the US Defense Secretary assured of it during his discussion with the Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. On Thursday, both the Defense Ministers held a telephonic conversation. The analysts expressed concerns that the Biden administration’s policies regarding the Indo-Pacific sector and especially India will be very different from the Trump administration. Against this background, the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held discussions with the Indian Defense Minister.

India-US relations are based on common values and uniform interests. During the discussion, US Defense Secretary Austin clarified that the Biden administration is committed to making these relations stronger. John Kirby, Media Secretary at the Pentagon, revealed information regarding the discussions between the countries’ Defense Ministers. Kirby said that the Indo-Pacific sector is a matter of common interests and discussions were held on it. Kirby informed that both the leaders concurred in making bilateral defense cooperation more comprehensive.

Meanwhile, as Pentagon was revealing information regarding the discussion, US Secretary of State, Blinken, negated the Chinese claim on the South China Sea, which forms a part of the Indo-Pacific sector. Secretary of State, Blinken, asserted that the United States would firmly stand behind the countries Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, who are challenging the Chinese claim.

At the same time, State Secretary, Blinken, gave indications that the United States will be playing an active part in the QUAD cooperation with India, Japan and Australia.