NEW DELHI (CU)_US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin will arrive in India on Friday evening (19 March) for a two-day visit, marking the first visit of a cabinet-ranked official from US President Joe Biden’s administration to the South Asian nation.
The visit comes on the heels of the first-ever summit of the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which included the United States, India, Australia and Japan.
During his visit, Austin is set to meet with his Indian counterpart Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several other senior government officials.
Ahead of his visit, US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to the Defence Secretary on Wednesday, raising the issue of a possible deal between India and Russia for the purchase of S-400 air defence missile systems.
“If India chooses to go forward with its purchase of the S-400, that act will clearly constitute a significant, and therefore sanctionable, transaction with the Russian defence sector under Section 231 of CAATSA,” Menendez wrote. “It will also limit India’s ability to work with the US on development and procurement of sensitive military technology. I expect you to make all of these challenges clear in conversations with your Indian counterparts.”
Moreover, the US Senator also urged the Defence Secretary to raise the concerns regarding democracy and human rights in his discussions with the Indian government. He noted that the parties must acknowledge that “the partnership is strongest when based on shared democratic values”, adding that the Indian government has been trending away from those values.
Austin’s visit to the South Asian nation will be his first overseas tour since he was appointed as the Defence Secretary, and therefore the tour emphasises the strength of the “India-US strategic partnership”, the US Defence Ministry said in a statement last week.
According to the Ministry, the parties are expected to exchange views on regional security challenges, and will discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation while maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
