15 November 2012

News Story: US working with India to develop increased defence cooperation


WASHINGTON (PTI): As the Obama Administration moves towards strategic re-balance in the Asia-Pacific region, the US on Tuesday said that it was working with India to develop increased defence co-operation.

"We are working with India to develop increased defence cooperation," US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters travelling with him on his 4th trip to the Asia Pacific region.

Early this year during his trip to India, Panetta had entrusted one of his top officials to work on reducing bureaucratic hurdles to increase India-US defence trade.

"My deputy at the Defence Department is working very closely with India to try to advance that progress," Panetta said.

During his current week-long trip Panetta is travelling to Australia, Cambodia and Thailand for regional and bi-lateral consultations, which comes ahead of the South East Asia trip of US President Barack Obama.

Read the full story at Brahmand