General McMaster reffirms India's Major Defence Partner status.
The Trump administration reaffirmed the Major Defence Partner status granted to India as its National Security Adviser Lieutenant General H R McMaster met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Tuesday, April 18.
During the meeting between Modi and General McMaster, views were exchanged on how India and the US can work together to effectively address the challenge of terrorism and to advance regional peace, security and stability, a PMO statement said.
General McMaster, whose trip marks the first visit by a top official of the Trump administration, shared his perspective with the prime minister on the security situation in the extended region, including Afghanistan, West Asia and North Korea.
The US NSA conveyed President Trump's greetings to Modi, the PMO said about the meeting in which Doval, Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar and other key officials were present.
'NSA McMaster emphasised the importance of the US-India strategic relationship and reaffirmed India's designation as a Major Defence Partner,' said a statement issued by the US embassy in New Delhi.
India was granted the Major Defence Partner status by the Barack Obama administration in December.
Modi recalled his 'positive telephonic conversations' with Trump that 'reaffirmed the importance attached by both sides to the strategic partnership and to stepping up India-US engagement across the board,' the PMO said.
General McMaster also met Dr Jaishankar.
'The two sides discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including their shared interest in increasing defence and counter-terrorism cooperation,' the US embassy said.
Describing the meetings as 'productive,' the embassy said, 'The visit was a part of regional consultations that included stops in Kabul and Islamabad.'
Earlier, General McMaster and Doval held detailed discussions on India-US relations, especially the security aspect of the ties, sources said.
The US NSA arrived in Delhi from Pakistan where he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and some top officials.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US National Security Adviser Lieutenant General H R McMaster in New Delhi, April 18, 2017. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
