US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter today met his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar here on the sidelines of an ASEAN defence ministers' meeting and discussed ways to strengthen Indo-US defence ties.
"Carter reaffirmed the United States' commitment to strengthening the defence relationship with India," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in Washington of the meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defence Ministers' Meeting -- Plus.
The two leaders highlighted the critical role that ASEAN plays in the region and discussed ways that the United States and India can work together to realise shared security goals in the Indian Ocean region, he said.
Carter is scheduled to host Parrikar in Washington D C on December 10 during the minister's first visit to the United States, Cook said.