The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar paid three-day visit to the United States of America from 29 August 2016.
He met the US Secretary of Defence Dr. Ashton Carter amongst other senior officials.
The defense relationship between India and the United States is based on the two countries’ shared values and interests, and their abiding commitment to global peace and security.
During their meeting, Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter discussed the wealth of progress in bilateral cooperation and the deepening strategic partnership between the United States and India.
The visit – their sixth interaction to date – demonstrates the importance both sides place on strengthening defense ties across many areas: from increased strategic and regional cooperation, to deepened military-to-military exchanges, to expanded collaboration on defense technology and innovation.
Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter discussed India’s “Major Defense Partner” designation, announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in June 2016. They agreed on the importance this framework will provide to facilitate innovative and advanced opportunities in defense technology and trade cooperation.
To this end, the United States has agreed to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.
Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter welcomed continued progress under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). They welcomed the decision at the DTTI meeting in Delhi in July 2016 to broaden its agenda by setting up five new Joint Working Groups on: Naval Systems; Air Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; Chemical and Biological Protection; and Other Systems.
They also noted the signing of an Information Exchange Annex under the framework of the Aircraft Carrier Joint Working Group.
Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter also agreed to continue to their close consultation on “Make in India” proposals.