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Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia on Monday.[/caption]
Washington, Dec. 4 (PTI): Commencing her five-day official visit to the United States, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday asserted that New Delhi sees the US as an important partner in the field of defence.
In her remarks at the start of her bilateral talks with the US Defence Secretary James Mattis at the Pentagon, Sitharaman said mutual trust and confidence in defence partnership between the two countries were growing.
The defence minister added that she was encouraged by the importance attached to the India-US defence relationship in the new US National Security Strategy.
“A strong foundation has been laid for the India-US defence relationship over the years. India sees the US as an important partner in defence,” Sitharaman said the two countries have good military cooperation, defence consultations, scientific collaborations and co-production and industry collaboration.
Exuding confidence that the bilateral talks would accord greater momentum to the dialogue and partnership between the two countries, she said the relationship continued to be very strong.
The recent meetings between the two countries, she said, have underscored mutual desire to move. The high-level exchanges are an indication of the depth and the quality of bilateral ties and their mutual desire to work closely on regional and global issues, she added.
