India A Critical Partner, Says Pentagon; Quad Foreign Ministers To Meet Virtually Today

India is a critical partner, especially when one considers all the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, the Pentagon said on the eve of the maiden Quad ministerial meeting under the Biden administration.

Quad ministerial is an informal grouping of four countries, namely, Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

India is a critical partner, especially when you consider all of the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.

In an op-ed in Newsweek this week, India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Sing Sandhu had said that the deepening defense and strategic partnership constituted an important area of cooperation, which rests on a strong institutional framework for defense collaboration and the shared strategic interests.

This will be particularly important in Asia where we will work bilaterally and with like-minded partners to pursue a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific while advancing the security and economic interests of countries with legitimate and vital interests in the region. And we will build on the deepening trade and investment linkages that create economic opportunities and jobs in both countries, Sandhu wrote.