Defence ties: US, India step on the pedal
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring that relations between India and the US were growing with "great deal of speed", the two countries pledged on Monday to enhance their strategic cooperation as Major Defence Partners.
"The two leaders discussed the comprehensive strategic partnership between the United States and India and their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the White house spokesperson said.
The Indian side characterised their encounter as a "warm and productive meeting." They "discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Asean summit a day after India, US, Japan and Australia held talks to begin the quadrilateral process for greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
It followed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's declaration that India would have an important strategic role as one of the democratic anchors of security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region that would also embrace Japan and Australia.
Separately, Trump had a joint meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to discuss "a free and open Indo-Pacific region".
While unveiling his new Afghanistan strategy in August, Trump had said that with India "we are committed to pursuing our shared objectives for peace and security in South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region".
The Manila meeting was their second extended round of talks after Modi's White House visit in June. Modi is now looking forward to hosting the US delegation that includes Trump's daughter Ivanka to the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad. "The relations between India and the United States are growing very rapidly, with a great deal of speed, and they're getting deeper and more comprehensive," Modi said.
"I also feel that these relations between India and the US, they are not just for our mutual interests, but they go much beyond that," he said in Hindi speaking through an interpreter. "And we are working together for the interest of the future of Asia and for humanity as a whole in the world. And there are many areas where we are working together and we can work together in the future, too."
Trump, who is having the second bilateral encounter with Modi, said, "He's become a friend of ours."
He said that Modi was "a great gentleman doing a fantastic job in bringing around lots of factions in India -- bringing them all together. That's what I hear, and that's good news. And it really is".
"It's a lot of good reports coming out of India," Trump added. "So I want to congratulate you."