India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, met US Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby at the Pentagon this week for what both described as a valuable and productive discussion on advancing defence cooperation.
Kwatra, in a post on X, said the two sides reviewed the current agenda and charted an actionable path on several initiatives in the pipeline under India-US defence ties. He described Colby as having “deep knowledge, perspective and consistent support” for the strategic partnership.
Colby also shared details of the meeting on social media, terming it a “valuable discussion” and reaffirming the US commitment to elevating defence cooperation with India.
The meeting comes close on the heels of the 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2025, the annual bilateral army drill between India and the United States, held recently in Alaska. The Indian Embassy in Washington described the exercise as a hallmark of growing military-to-military interaction aligned with the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The broader engagement is taking place at a time when India-US ties are witnessing renewed momentum. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend greetings on his 75th birthday. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to taking the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership to new heights, with Modi also reiterating support for Trump’s initiatives for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
The call coincided with a visit by US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, to New Delhi, where he held trade discussions with India’s chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal. Officials from both sides described the talks as positive and aimed at expediting a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
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