US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrives in India, recieved by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 26, 2017 : US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in India on Tuesday, and was received by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. Mattis will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Mattis will hold discussions in a bid to bolster bilateral ties between the two nations. He will also be meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the capital.

 

This is the first cabinet-level visit to India under the Trump administration. The trip would be used to develop new institutional mechanisms to elevate the status of India-US defence relationship, showcase enhanced strategic co-operation in Afghanistan and strengthen maritime security and rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region.

The two-day visit starting Tuesday aims at strengthening defence partnership between the two nations as US President Donald Trump envisions a stronger role for India in the Asian region. The two nations are expected to announce a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian and US navies, which will be focused on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Discussions on American offer for the F-16 fighter and Guardian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is also expected to take place during the visit.

India which was given the status of Major Defence Partner during the previous Obama administration expects to get greater access to US defence technology. The two sides will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the help India can provide to support President Trump’s Afghan strategy. Trump while unveiling his Afghanistan policy called for a wider participation from India in Afghan region. India has already extended a $3 billion aid to Afghanistan while continuously increasing trade relations with the mountainous country.

Mattis’ India visit comes in less than a week after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had her first bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.


courtesy: Indian Express