NEW DELHI– India on Thursday reaffirmed that defense ties with the United States remain a key pillar of their bilateral relationship, announcing that a U.S. defense policy team is expected to visit New Delhi in mid-August as both nations deepen their comprehensive global strategic partnership.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the defense partnership has expanded across all domains, with procurement proceeding in line with established procedures.
“The India-U.S. defense partnership, underpinned by foundational defense agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral relationship. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains. We are expecting a U.S. defense policy team to be in Delhi in mid-August. The 21st edition of the joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska. Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2+2 Intersessional meeting at the working level toward the end of this month,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a weekly briefing.
Jaiswal emphasized that the partnership has endured multiple transitions and challenges, anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and strong people-to-people ties. “We remain focused on the substantive agenda that the two countries have committed to, and we hope the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests,” he said.
The remarks come amid heightened trade tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian crude oil. This follows a prior 25 percent tariff imposed on July 20.
The MEA previously criticized the move, calling it “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable” and stressing that India’s energy needs and strategic autonomy must be respected. (Source: IANS)
