Even as India and the US on Tuesday agreed to accelerate their defence and security ties, there was still no clarity on the wavier under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) that will insulate India's defence deal with Russians to procure S400 and the purchase of oil from Iran.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday held a meeting with her American counterpart James Mattis at Pentagon to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, wherein the two leaders discussed the growing partnership in the defence sphere and also exchanged views on a broad range of bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, said an official statement. "They reviewed ongoing initiatives to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and the US," it said. "Both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, building on the discussions and outcomes of the '2 + 2 Dialogue' held in September 2018," the statement added.
Mattis said the US-India relationship is a natural partnership between the world's oldest and the world's largest democracy."We have made meaningful progress in advancing US-India defence cooperation, most notably with your nation hosting September's inaugural '2+2' ministerial dialogue in New Delhi," he said.
The ministerial talks served as a tangible demonstration of "our shared vision for a safe, secure, prosperous and free Indo-Pacific, underpinned by respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all nations," Mattis said."Today, we build on that momentum as we work to implement our agreement from September, Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA)," he added. Exuding confidence, she said the relationship continued to be very strong.
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 "Jim Mattis (center-right) sits across the table from Nirmala Sitharaman (center-left) during a meeting at the Pentagon")
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