Delhi, Washington sign 10-year defense agreement

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsett announced today (Friday) the signing of a 10-year defense agreement with India. According to ISNA, Hegsett wrote in a short message on the social network X after meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh: "This 10-year defense cooperation framework is an important cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence."

 

According to Reuters, the US Secretary of Defense emphasized that the goal of the new agreement is to increase defense coordination, exchange of military information and cooperation in the technology sector between Delhi and Washington. Hegsett is currently on a trip to Asia.

 

The Indian Ministry of Defense had also announced that Rajnath Singh will address the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur. The meeting will be held under the theme "15 Years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward". Also, the second informal meeting between the defense ministers of India and ASEAN member countries has been held under the chairmanship of Malaysia.

 

Within the framework of ADMM-Plus, ten ASEAN member countries cooperate along with eight dialogue partners including the United States, India, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and the main focus of these meetings is to increase the capacity of security and military cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and support India's "Act East" policy.

 

According to a report by news networks close to the Indian Ministry of Defense, this agreement is a continuation of the trend of increasing military cooperation between the two countries, which has been strengthened in recent years with the purchase of equipment, joint exercises and the exchange of advanced defense technologies.

 

India continues to strive to reduce its dependence on imports in the defense sector and expand joint military equipment production projects with the United States.

 

Some international media outlets have also written that the expansion of cooperation between Washington and Delhi is seen as a direct message to China, a country whose regional competition with India and the United States is increasing.

 

According to security observers, the 10-year defense agreement between Delhi and Washington is actually a strategic message for the Asia-Indian Ocean region. Studies show that this cooperation is not only limited to the exchange of information, but also moves towards the joint production of equipment and a more active military presence in strategic waters. Experts believe that the competition between the United States and China, as well as India's border tensions with China, played a key role in accelerating this agreement. Some analyses also show that Delhi is trying to maintain relations with Russia while at the same time moving closer to the Western defense pole.