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US defence secretary Lloyd Austin to visit India soon, Indo-Pacific on agenda
India will be the last leg of Austin’s three-nation tour that will also take him to Japan and South Korea as the US seeks to restore defence ties with key players around the world after the uncertainty of the Trump administration.
Military-to-military cooperation, defence trade, the Indo-Pacific region and the situation in Afghanistan are expected to be on the agenda during US defence secretary Lloyd Austin’s three-day visit to India next week.
This will be the first visit to India by a senior member of the Biden administration, which is looking to ramp up the relationship with India, both bilaterally and within the framework of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, against the backdrop of China’s assertive actions in the region.
On his India visit during March 19-21, Austin will meet defence minister Rajnath Singh and other senior government officials, the defence ministry said in a statement.
“Both sides are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and exchange views on regional security challenges and common interests in maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
“Discussions regarding defence cooperation would also focus on how both countries could consolidate military-to-military cooperation and defence trade and industry cooperation,” the statement added.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the situation in Afghanistan, including the possibility of the US pulling out all its troops by May 1 and the proposal for forming a transitional government involving the Taliban, is also expected to figure in Austin’s discussions with his Indian interlocutors.
According to a US proposal, India is set to be part of a meeting, along with the US, Russia, China and Iran, to discuss an unified approach towards Afghanistan. The Indian side has expressed concern about a vacuum being created by any sudden drawdown of US forces in the face of a resurgence by the Taliban.
India will be the last leg of Austin’s three-nation tour that will also take him to Japan and South Korea as the US seeks to restore defence ties with key players around the world after the uncertainty of the Trump administration. Austin will begin the visit by travelling on Saturday to the US Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii, where he will highlight his vision for the Indo-Pacific “as a priority theatre” for the defence department, a statement from the Pentagon said.
“I’ll meet with my counterparts and other officials to discuss the importance of our alliances and partnerships, and together we'll reinforce the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Austin tweeted.
Austin will be joined in Japan by US secretary of state Antony Blinken for a 2+2 meeting of the defence and foreign ministers that will emphasise that the US-Japan alliance remains “the cornerstone of peace and security in a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of long-term competition with China”, the Pentagon said.
Blinken and Austin will also join a 2+2 meeting of defence and foreign ministers in South Korea to “reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea”, the Pentagon said.
The Indian defence ministry said Austin’s visit to New Delhi as “part of his first overseas travel emphasises the strength of India-US strategic partnership”.
