Kwatra meets key US officials, reviews progress of strategic partnership

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has met several US senior officials, including Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks, to undertake a detailed review of the progress on further consolidating the bilateral strategic ties and discussed their shared efforts to promote stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Kwatra is in the US this week for a series of meetings with senior officials of the US government and interaction with industry leaders to advance bilateral cooperation in areas like defence and technology.

Hicks and Kwatra discussed priorities for strengthening the US-India defence partnership, including the implementation of the roadmap for the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation, Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon said.

The two officials underscored the historic momentum in the Major Defence Partnership in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to an official statement.

They applauded the efforts by both countries to advance the co-production of fighter jet engines and armoured vehicles, as well as the continued success of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) in promoting innovation and partnerships between US and Indian researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors, it said.

Kwatra and Hicks also spoke about the importance of expanding the scope of US-India military engagements to strengthen cooperation across all domains while highlighting the shared efforts to promote stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, Pahon said.

They also discussed a range of regional security issues and committed to collaborating closely in support of a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said, amidst China's aggressive moves in the region.

"The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and provided an opportunity to further advance our growing and future-oriented partnership," the statement issued by the Indian Embassy here said.

During his visit from April 10 to 12, Kwatra undertook a detailed review of the progress made towards further consolidating the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, it said.

Kwatra held meetings with Richard Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State, as well as other senior officials.

He also held discussions with key officials at the National Security Council, the Department of Defence, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy.

"These discussions spanned the entire gamut of India-US ties, growing defence and commercial ties, supply chain resilience and contemporary regional developments," the embassy said.

The top Indian diplomat also met with representatives of leading think tanks and chambers of commerce.

"USIBC was delighted to host Foreign Secretary @AmbVMKwatra for a breakfast meeting with our Board Chair and @Nasdaq Executive Vice Chairman Ed Knight. They engaged in discussions on deepening investment channels, fostering innovation and technology, and strengthening the commercial ties between our countries," the US-Indian Business Council had said on X.