India, US to identify new ways in defence cooperation: Ashton Carter

He further added that military relationship between the two nations is as close as it has ever been

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter today said he along with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar will "identify new ways" to cooperate ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here next week.

"Minister Parrikar and I will identify new ways to cooperate in advance of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington next week," Carter told the annual Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore today wherein he reiterated India's eminent role in Obama's Asia Pacific rebalance.

Pentagon said yesterday that Carter will accompany Modi when the latter visits the Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown. He is also scheduled to meet Modi during his three-day stay in the US.

India, US military relationship is as close as it has ever been, he said.

"Through our strategic handshake, with the United States reaching west in its rebalance and India reaching east in Prime Minister Modi's Act East policy -- the two nations are exercising together by air, land, and sea," Carter said.

"And there's also a technological handshake -- we're moving towards deeper and more diverse defence co-development and co-production, including on aircraft carrier design and construction," he added.

Carter said while peace in the Asia Pacific region has led to the miraculous growth of countries like China and India, but tension of late persists in the region.

"Tensions in the South China Sea, North Korea's continued nuclear and missile provocations and the dangers of violent extremism felt worldwide, pose challenges to the region's stability and prosperity," he said.

"If we continue to cooperate on security we would one day be discussing a US-China-India multilateral maritime exercise, a Japan and Republic of Korea joint disaster response in the South China Sea and an ASEAN-wide security network," Carter said.

Over the last year, progress has been made towards that vision. "China and India will both participate once again in the US-hosted RIMPAC naval exercise this summer. Japan and the Republic of Korea are engaging with each other in new ways," he said.

In addition to the ASEAN centric security network, which is developing in Southeast Asia, nations across the entire Asia-Pacific are increasingly working together and networking security together, Carter added.