India, US finalise Major Defence Partner agreement

DEFENCE MINISTER Manohar Parrikar and United States Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter Thursday finalised India’s designation as a Major Defense Partner of the United States. This was announced in the India-us joint statement on Carter’s visit to New Delhi.

The designation as a Major Defense Partner, the joint statement noted, is a status unique to India and institutionalises the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technologysharing with India to a level at par with that of the United States’ closest allies and partners, and ensures enduring cooperation into the future.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington in June, the United States said it recognised India as a Major Defense Partner. The joint statement issued then had acknowledged the Us-india defence relationship as a possible “anchor of stability”, with the United States saying it will “continue to work toward facilitating technology sharing with India to

PTI Parrikar with Ashton Carter in New Delhi Thursday.