NEW DELHI: Army Chief General M M Naravane discussed various measures to further bolster bilateral defence and security cooperation with the visiting commander of the US Special Operations Command, General Richard D Clarke, here on Thursday.
The two generals also discussed “issues of mutual interests”, which is likely to have included the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan in wake of the rapid advances being made by the Taliban to grab territory there, said an official.
Gen Clarke, who is on a three-day visit to India, later said, “Our partnership with India is vital in the Indo-Pacific, and our teamwork helps provide security throughout the region.”
“Whether we’re training together in exercises, or cooperating in many other areas, our relationship with India is strong and continues to grow. I want to thank the Indian defense team for their leadership, friendship, and commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
India conducts several military exercises with the US every year, ranging from the top-notch `Malabar’ naval exercise, which includes the other “Quad countries” of Japan and Australia, to the bilateral `Yudh Abhyas’ and ‘Vajra Prahar’ between their armies.
The US has also bagged lucrative Indian defence deals worth over $21 billion, with several more in the pipeline, just since 2007. The expansive bilateral defence partnership between India and the US has seen the two ink four “foundational military pacts”, with the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA) being the last to be concluded in 2020.
India had earlier inked the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with the US in 2002, which was followed by the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, and then the Communications, Compatibility and Security Arrangement (COMCASA) in 2018.
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