US Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks meets NSA Ajit Doval

Washington: US Deputy Defense Secretary Dr Kathleen Hicks met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval here and discussed priorities for the US-India bilateral defence partnership, the Pentagon said.

It said the discussions also included strengthening policy and operational coordination in the Indo-Pacific region and increasing defence industrial cooperation between the two countries.

“They discussed a range of topics including US-India defence cooperation and regional security issues,” the Indian Embassy said in a tweet Tuesday.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon, in a readout of the meeting, said Hicks reiterated that building alliances and partnerships is a top priority for the department, and integral to the ongoing implementation of the US National Defense Strategy.

She thanked Doval for India’s leadership in the region and discussed avenues to deepen coordination between the US and Indian militaries to address the region’s increasingly contested strategic environment, Pahon said.

‘The two also discussed opportunities to increase bilateral defense industrial cooperation through innovative joint endeavors between US and Indian firms that support India’s unique operational requirements,” he said.

Hicks and Doval said they look forward to making progress towards advancing the US-India defense partnership, said the readout of the meeting.