Austin terms India-US ties cornerstone of Indo-Pacific security as China seeks to 'refashion' region

Terming the India-US defence partnership the cornerstone of security in the Indo-Pacific, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday underlined the challenges that lay in the region saying that China is seeking to "refashion" international system in ways that serve its authoritarian interest.

Developing his opening remarks at the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, he said, "It has been nearly two decades since we signed our first defence framework and we built a partnership that is now a cornerstone of security in Indo-Pacific. Today we are positioning US and Indian militaries to operate and coordinate closely together."

Underscoring the importance of rule of law, freedom of the seas and regional peace and security Austin said now more than ever democracies must stand together to protect the values that they share. "We all understand the challenges that we face in Indo-Pacific. China is seeking to refashion the region and international system more broadly in ways that serve its authoritarian interest," he said.

"But as we operationalise our defence agreements and take our cooperation to the next level, I believe that we can sustain and strengthen a favourable balance of power in the region," he added.

Against this backdrop, Austin said, in today's meeting he will be looking forward to discussing a range of bilateral defence priorities, including deeper info sharing and industrial cooperation. "This will help to ensure that our militaries are ready to meet any challenge," he said.

Furthermore, the US Defence Secretary said a strong US-Indian partnership is a critical building block in a more resilient regional security architecture. "So, today's 2+2 is an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen our cooperation with like-minded partners."

This India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was preceded by a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Joe Biden wherein both the leaders had an extensive exchange of views on several regional and global issues, such as the Ukraine situation, and the Indo-Pacific region.

The meeting was held before the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries.

( With inputs from ANI )