U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis in his first telephonic conversation with Indian Minister of Defense Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday, committed for further progress on the Indo-U.S. bilateral defense cooperation.
"In their first conversation, Secretary Mattis committed to build upon the tremendous progress in bilateral defense cooperation made in recent years, underscoring the strategic importance of the U.S.-India relationship and India's role in advancing global peace and security," said a Pentagon statement.
The statement added that the two sides also affirmed their commitment to sustain the momentum on key bilateral defense efforts to include the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative.