Austin said that relations between the US and India enjoy a good momentum and will gradually pick up speed, highlighting their cooperation in developing armoured vehicles. India and the US are also key partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon said that the doctors advised US Defence Chief Austin to work from home before returning to the office later this week. It said that Austin's home has "full access to the unclassified and classified communications systems necessary to perform his duties".
This came months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington where a formal agreement was struck to produce General Electric fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force in India.
During the meeting, the US side stated that India and Washington's global strategic partnership has continued to rapidly grow. India-US partnership is the cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The US Defence Secretary arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on a two-day visit to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, especially in areas of transfer of critical technologies for the co-development of military hardware.
After completing his trip to Singapore, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III will visit India where he will be meeting with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders.
Lloyd Austin said his last in-person contact with US President Joe Biden was on July 29. Biden too had contracted COVID-19 twice within a span of few days.
Speaking to media on Friday, US Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the US decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a "mistake".
Rajnath Singh invited the US defence industry to take advantage of India's liberalised FDI policies in defence sector.
Secretary Austin is scheduled to arrive in Delhi late Friday afternoon as part of his first overseas trip that also took him to Japan and South Korea.
US Secretary of Defence, General Lloyd J Austin, is scheduled to visit India from March 19 to March 21 to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
In January, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Austin emphasised Washington's commitment to the Major Defense Partnership with New Delhi. The two leaders also held talks over the two countries' vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific region.
Biden selected Austin over the longtime front-runner candidate, Michele Flournoy, a former senior Pentagon official and Biden supporter who would have been the first woman to serve as defense secretary.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman has denied a media report that claimed US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper was planning to resign.
"Next week in Washington DC, the United States will host the second ever India two-plus-two ministerial, where we will continue to advance our growing partnership as our strategic interests align," Esper said during his appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) think-tank.
Rajnath Singh noted that India's vision for the Indo-Pacific was for a free and open, peaceful, prosperous and inclusive region supported by a rules-based order and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
During this Congressional hearing, Shanahan agreed that a counterterrorism platform is still required in the war-torn country as ISISK is getting, even more, stronger than before. He also hailed President Trump's current South Asia strategy which offers the best chance for peace in Afghanistan.
“Just read Gen. Mattis resignation letter ,” tweeted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. “It makes it abundantly clear that we are headed toward a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances && empower our adversaries.”
Pompeo spoke with Bajwa over phone and their discussion was focused to advance Pak-US bilateral relations, his spokesperson said.
Washington: As an Indian diplomat at the centre of a major diplomatic row between India and the US rekindled her case, the US said its "focus has been on moving our relationship forward.""I'm not aware
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