iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
In a display of growing military cooperation, top US and Indian naval officers pledged to further strengthen their strategic partnership at a symposium held in Bangalore on Monday, June 10.
The “Partners in Progress” symposium, co-organized by American and Indian institutions — Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, and Christ University, Bengaluru, with support from the U.S. Consulate General Chennai — brought together experts to discuss the developing security landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.
Real Admiral Nirbhay Bapna, Assistant Chief of the Indian Naval Staff, highlighted the importance of the US-India relationship during these “troubled times”. During the inaugural keynote symposium address, Rear Admiral Bapna said: “At these troubled times when the world is going through struggles and contestations, the U.S. and India have emerged as like-minded and trusted partners. The 75-year partnership has today become a comprehensive global strategic partnership. There is a convergence between the two countries in their shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Information sharing and maritime domain awareness is a priority area of cooperation for both countries. Looking ahead, the partnership is set to deepen further. Both nations are likely to enhance collaboration in emerging domains like cybersecurity, space, underwater, and artificial intelligence. The evolving security dynamics underscores the importance of a strong Indo-U.S. naval partnership, which is a testimony to the strength of Indo-U.S. strategic relationship.”
U.S. Rear Admiral Michael Baker echoed Bapna’s sentiment, calling the US-India Major Defense Partnership “a pillar of global peace and security”.
“The U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership has become a pillar of global peace and security. Our countries are making substantial progress through joint exercises, the reinforcement of defense-industrial cooperation, the annual 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and other consultative mechanisms. These efforts contribute to progressing forward an advanced and comprehensive defense partnership, ensuring close coordination between our militaries across all domains. Both countries are vital partners in efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity and economic inclusion,” Real Admiral Baker said.
The symposium, attended by 50 US and Indian experts, focused on various thematic areas, including the strategic landscape of the U.S.-India relationship, defense dialogues, technology trade, and military interoperability.
