WASHINGTON– India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra met with U.S. Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby at the Pentagon this week, with both sides describing the talks as valuable and forward-looking for the bilateral defense partnership.
Kwatra said in a post on X that the two leaders “reviewed the current agenda and charted an actionable path on several initiatives in the pipeline of India–U.S. defense cooperation.” He praised Colby’s “deep knowledge, perspective and consistent support” for strengthening the strategic partnership.
Colby echoed the sentiment in his own message on social media, writing, “I was very pleased to host Ambassador Kwatra at the Pentagon earlier this week for a valuable discussion. We at the Department of War look forward to continuing to elevate our critical defense cooperation with India.”
The meeting came on the heels of the 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, the annual bilateral army drill between India and the United States, which concluded recently in Alaska. The Indian Embassy in Washington described the joint exercise as a “hallmark of the growing military-to-military interaction” aligned with the countries’ Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The engagement also coincided with a series of diplomatic exchanges this week. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone on Tuesday, with Trump wishing Modi a happy 75th birthday. Modi thanked Trump publicly, reaffirming India’s commitment to deepening the partnership and voicing support for U.S. efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
On the same day, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch held trade talks in New Delhi with India’s chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal. Both sides later described those discussions as “positive.” (Source: IANS)
