The United States and India today signed a 10-year framework agreement for bilateral defence cooperation, which Washington described as a "cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence."
The agreement was signed by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
The signing of the defence cooperation agreement, which followed a meeting confirmed by both Rajnath and Hegseth, came as both sides were in the midst of tariff negotiations for a bilateral trade deal.
The Secretary of War said, "India-US defence ties have never been stronger" and reiterated that "India is a priority country for the US in defence cooperation and they were committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific."
In a post on X, Hegseth said the framework agreement "advances the bilateral defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger."
The framework agreement "marks a new chapter to further transform the partnership over the next 10 years and is intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation," said an Indian Defence Ministry statement.
Through a separate post on X, Rajnath exuded confidence that the framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US defence relationship.
"It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region," he wrote.
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