The recent bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin focused on deepening defense industrial cooperation, operational synergy, and defense innovation initiatives in East Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

In a recent meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the two leaders shared perspectives on security issues in East Asia and the Indian Ocean region. The discussions aimed at strengthening defense industrial cooperation, logistical and operational synergy, and defense innovation initiatives.

During Jaishankar’s visit to Washington, DC, he also met with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss technology and commerce. Both Austin and Raimondo have been instrumental in fostering the India-US relationship, particularly in the areas of defense and technology cooperation.

The meeting between Jaishankar and Austin comes ahead of the upcoming 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defense ministers of both countries in November. This dialogue will further enhance bilateral defense cooperation and address key security challenges in the region.

In addition to the meetings with Austin and Raimondo, Jaishankar also met with Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. These meetings underscore the importance of the India-US relationship and the commitment to strengthening cooperation in various domains.

The discussions between Jaishankar and Austin focused on expanding defense industrial cooperation, including co-production of defense articles, streamlined logistics procedures, and the implementation of the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). The two countries also reviewed progress under the defense industrial cooperation roadmap and discussed opportunities to enhance interoperability and logistics cooperation, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

Jaishankar’s meeting with the US defense industry, hosted by the US-India Business Council, highlighted the strategic convergence, technology collaboration, and ease of doing business that are transforming the defense partnership between India and the US.

Overall, the recent bilateral meetings between Jaishankar and US officials have showcased the progress made in defense and technology cooperation between the two countries. These discussions have set the stage for further strengthening of the India-US relationship and addressing shared security challenges in the region.