Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], October 31 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday exchanged an agreement on the framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership in Kuala Lumpur, marking a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations.

The development came as the United States signed a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement with India, underscoring the growing strategic alignment between the two countries. Announcing the development, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the two nations' 'defence ties have never been stronger.'

Hegseth, in a post on X, said he met Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and signed the new framework. The head of the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defence, stated that the agreement would advance the India-US defence partnership, describing it as a 'cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.'

https://x.com/SecWar/status/1984118246497243478

He added, 'We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger.'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also confirmed the signing of the 10-year agreement, calling his meeting with Hegseth 'fruitful.'

https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/1984130750585938011

In a post on X, he said, 'Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart @PeterHegsethSec in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10 years 'Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership'. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership.'

Singh further noted that the Defence Framework 'will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship.'

'It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership,' he stated, adding that defence 'will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations' and that the partnership is 'critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region.'

The meeting between Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The informal meeting was convened ahead of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus), scheduled to be held on November 1.

Ahead of his visit, Rajnath Singh had said that the ASEAN-India meetings in Kuala Lumpur 'aim to further strengthen defence and security cooperation among ASEAN member states & India and advance the 'Act East Policy'.'

The high-level engagement between the two leaders reflected the continuing momentum in India-US defence cooperation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional stability and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)