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Chief of US naval operations admiral Mike Gilday to begin 5-day visit to India
"This visit is a great opportunity for me to meet with my counterpart in India and discuss areas for continued mutual cooperation. No doubt, there are many areas where we can partner and collaborate," Gilday said on Friday while announcing the visit.
The United States' chief of naval operations admiral Michael M Gilday will arrive in India on a five-day visit on Monday to reaffirm the growing level of naval cooperation between the two countries. The visit will conclude on October 15, during which Gilday is scheduled to meet India's Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and other officials.
"This visit is a great opportunity for me to meet with my counterpart in India and discuss areas for continued mutual cooperation. No doubt, there are many areas where we can partner and collaborate," Gilday said on Friday while announcing the visit.
In a statement, Gilday also described India as "one of the closest strategic partners" and said, the relationship between New Delhi and Washington "is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific." "I am grateful for our navies’ continued cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to create an inclusive, free and open rules-based order," the senior official also said, adding, "And by continuing to work closely with the Indian Navy, we will increase our interoperability for decades to come as well as maintain security, stability, and prosperity."
The visit coincides with the second phase of the Malabar exercise, which is set to begin from Tuesday. The mega wargame in the Bay of Bengal will continue till October 15 and it will feature the navies of all four Quad countries - India, the US, Australia and Japan.
According to the Indian Navy officials, the second phase of the Malabar exercise will feature a number of complex drills involving several frontline warships and other assets of the four navies.
(With agency inputs)
