Kuala Lumpur: The United States and India signed Friday a ten-year Joint Defense Framework Agreement, aimed at strengthening their military partnership and security cooperation, thereby contributing to enhanced regional stability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Following the signing of the agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN Plus Defense Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia, US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth and his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, affirmed that the agreement represents a significant turning point in the defense relationship between Washington and New Delhi, noting that the defense partnership between the two countries is a cornerstone of regional stability.

Hegseth stated in a post on the X platform: "This step strengthens our defense partnership, which is a fundamental pillar of stability and deterrence in the region. We are working to expand coordination, information sharing, and technical cooperation, and our defense relationship has never been stronger."

For his part, the Indian Defense Minister said that this agreement "ushers in a new era in our already strong defense relationship," emphasizing that it reflects "the growing strategic convergence between our two countries."

He added that the agreement represents "a comprehensive policy framework for the future of India-US defense relations" and establishes a new decade of bilateral cooperation across all defense domains.

Singh noted that the agreement enhances interoperability in all areas, including land, sea, air, and space, as well as cybersecurity.

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