Rajnath Singh Holds Call With US Counterpart Pete Hegseth To Boost Ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth, agreed on Thursday to work on a 10-year comprehensive framework to bolster the India-US defence partnership, especially in the spheres of intelligence, logistics, operational and industrial engagement.

Rajnath Singh said Hegseth reviewed various aspects of the bilateral defence ties in a phone conversation that came less than a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned trip to Washington.

It was Mr Singh’s first phone conversation with Hegseth after the latter was confirmed as the US defence secretary on January 25. An Indian readout of the conversation said India and the United States have agreed to work together to draft a comprehensive framework on defence cooperation, aimed at structuring the bilateral collaboration for the 2025-2035 period.