Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US this month will set new benchmarks for bilateral ties and is expected to see major announcements on defense industrial cooperation and a boost to India’s indigenous military fleet, the Pentagon has said. . Prime Minister Modi will pay a state visit to the US this month at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. His four-day visit will begin on June 21. The Biden couple will host Modi at a state banquet on June 22.
Eli Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said during a panel discussion at the ‘Center for New American Security’ on Thursday that ‘when Prime Minister Modi comes to Washington for a state visit later this month, I think That this will prove to be a historic visit setting new benchmarks in the relations between the two countries. He said that ‘I think it will be seen in the same way as the ‘two plus two’ talks with Japan earlier this year. was seen as a key moment in the relationship. People will see Prime Minister Modi’s visit as a real leap forward in US-India relations.
Ratner said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently visited India to take forward a number of bilateral issues and to prepare the ground for the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington to finalize specific agreements and plans. He said, ‘Establishing clear strategic plans on the issue of co-development and co-production between the US and India in defense-related matters will be a priority of this visit.
Strengthening India’s indigenous defense industrial infrastructure as well as speeding up military modernization has been a priority for Prime Minister Modi. US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in January this year India has launched a significant initiative for Technology (ICET) which aims to promote technology cooperation between the US and India and the defense sector is a very strong component of this initiative on which both countries want to move forward.
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