US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel calls on PM

United States Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

Hagel, who also received a Guard of Honour before the visit, also met Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

The Prime Minister welcomed the sustained high-level engagement between the United States and India.

The Prime Minister expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Iraq and its potential implications for the region, where India has a vital stake. Secretary Hagel briefed the Prime Minister on the announcements by President Obama on the steps that the United States plans to take to deal with the situation.

Modi also noted that an early completion of the election process in Afghanistan, which enjoys the confidence of the people of Afghanistan, and smooth transition of power is essential for sustaining progress towards peace, stability, democracy and development in Afghanistan.

They also discussed their shared interest in peace and stability in the wider Asia Pacific region.

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of defence relations in the overall strategic partnership between the two countries and indicated his desire to see further progress in defence relations, including in defence manufacturing in India, technology transfer in the area of defence, exercises and higher studies in the field of defence.

Narendra Modi reiterated that he looked forward to his visit to the United States not just as an occasion to think in terms of what we can do for each other, but also as an opportunity to see how the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy can build a partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the world.