The United States will continue to foster a stronger defence partnership with India, the Pentagon said on Friday. Addressing a Pentagon Press Secretary here, Pat Ryder told reporters that Washington appreciates its ties with New Delhi on the “defence level.”
“We very much appreciate our relationship with India on a defence level. We continue to foster a stronger defence partnership with India and that is something that I think you’ll continue to see us do going forward,” Ryder said.
In 1997, defence trade between India and the US was almost negligible, today it stands above USD 20 billion. Responding to a question, Ryder said China remains the pacing challenge for the Department of Defense.
“We do appreciate the partnership that we have with India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region when it comes to preserving individual nations’ sovereignty and abiding by the international rules-based order that has preserved peace and stability for many years,” he said.
These remarks come as US and India have significantly enhanced defence cooperation in recent years. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit in June, India inked a number of defence deals with the United States.