Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a key meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, marking a significant moment in the deepening defence cooperation between India and the United States.

The dialogue underscored the strategic partnership between the two nations amid evolving regional and global security dynamics.

During his visit to the Malaysian capital, Rajnath Singh and Hegseth discussed a broad range of topics, focusing on enhancing bilateral defence ties and advancing collaborative frameworks in technology, logistics, and regional security cooperation.

The discussions also aimed at reinforcing interoperability and defence-industrial synergy between the two countries.

The Kuala Lumpur engagement comes close on the heels of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the same city on 27 October.

Their talks had covered bilateral relations, regional developments, and common challenges, highlighting continued diplomatic coordination between New Delhi and Washington on multiple fronts.

Jaishankar, in a social‑media post, commended the “valuable discussion on regional and global matters,” reflecting the increasing importance of Malaysia as a neutral ground for high‑level India–US diplomacy.

The back‑to‑back visits signify a coordinated effort to advance both defence and foreign policy engagement. The series of meetings underline the shared strategic goals of maintaining regional stability, fostering maritime security in the Indo‑Pacific, and expanding cooperation across emerging defence technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber warfare resilience.

Parallel to these defence‑level talks, trade discussions between India and the United States have been progressing steadily. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently reaffirmed that India would not enter into trade agreements "in haste" or accept terms that could limit its economic autonomy.

He stressed that trade partnerships should be built on trust and mutual benefit rather than short‑term market access gains.

Goyal emphasised that India’s trade strategy aligns with its broader philosophy of measured diplomacy – a balance between engagement and self‑reliance.

His remarks, interpreted within the context of the ongoing Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, reflect a cohesive policy stance that connects defence, economic, and diplomatic dimensions of the India–US partnership.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal stated on Friday that negotiations between the two sides are “progressing well,” with convergence achieved on most key issues.

He expressed optimism that the Bilateral Trade Agreement proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February 2025 could be finalised soon, marking a milestone in comprehensive partnership building.

Together, these diplomatic and trade discussions signal a holistic approach by New Delhi and Washington towards strengthening long‑term cooperation—anchored in shared trust, mutual strategic interests, and a vision of sustainable global security and economic stability.

Based On ANI Report