US defence secretary calls for strong Indo-US defence ties

Praising the strength of Indian democracy, American defence secretary Chuck Hagel said that there are only few places in the world where a tea-seller’s son can become the Prime Minister.

“There are few places in the world other than India and the US where the son of a tea-seller in a small-time town can rise to be the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) or the child of a Kenyan father can rise to be the President (Barack Obama),” he said at the silver jubilee function of the Observer’s Research Foundation on Saturday.

Pitching for extensive Indo-US defence ties Chuck Hagel said there is no rivalry in cooperation partnership.

“Just like the US need not choose between its Asian alliances and its constructive relationship with China, similarly India need not choose between its closer relationship with America and improved ties with China. In our relations with Beijing, both Delhi and Washington, should see a healthy competition and we should avoid the traps of rivalry,” he said.

“India continues to look east and the US pursues strategic re-balance. These things headline the convergence of interests of our two nations,” he added.

 “The two countries should also converge their partnerships. India and the US should consider expanding their trilateral security cooperation with Japan. We should have trilateral defence cooperation at the ministerial level,” he said.

On Friday Chuck Hagel met Prime Minister Narendra Modi  and discussed strategic defense tie-ups including technology transfer.

“The prime minister underlined the importance of defence relations in the overall strategic partnership between the two countries and indicated his desire to see progress in defence relations, including in defence manufacturing in India, technology transfer in defence, exercises and higher studies in the field of defence,” a statement issued by PMO said.

Hagel also met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday for India’s possible purchase of 22 Apache attack helicopters, 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers and four P-81 anti-submarine aircraft.

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