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| Agreement Amid Regional Tensions / Photo File (X) |
In a significant step toward strengthening bilateral defense relations, the United States and India have signed a 10-year Defense Framework Agreement aimed at enhancing military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and technology exchange.
The announcement was made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following his meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Summit. Hegseth described the agreement as a “milestone for regional stability and defense balance,” emphasizing its importance in fostering long-term security collaboration between the two nations.
According to Hegseth, the new framework will deepen operational coordination between U.S. and Indian forces, promoting strategic partnerships in areas such as joint training, defense innovation, and advanced technology transfer. He added that the pact marks “an important step toward building deeper, more effective defense ties for the future.”
The high-level meeting comes amid recent strains in U.S.-India relations. In August, Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil, a move that temporarily led India to halt its acquisition of U.S. defense equipment. During today’s discussions, both sides reportedly reviewed defense procurement plans and agreed to move forward with renewed cooperation.
Diplomatic observers see the new defense framework as a sign of Washington and New Delhi’s shared intent to counterbalance regional threats while stabilizing their strategic alliance.
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