Chuck Hagel's India Visit Aimed At Nurturing Defense Ties: Pentagon

Kirby, who would accompany Hagel, said the defence secretary very much respects the role that India plays.

"He recognises that India is global player, is a strong nation and that she is becoming stronger and more influential and he respects it. This is a relationship that matters deeply to him," the Pentagon Press Secretary said.

In his meeting with Jaitley, Hagel would talk about the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative, which was started during the previous UPA regime, and is considered to be path breaking in terms of defense ties between the two countries.

"U.S. and India have converging strategic interest in the Asia Pacific region and that is demonstrated by our rebalance and by India's Look East Policy. We also have common interest in Afghanistan," Kirby said.

Hagel's only public event is likely to be his address to the Observer Research Foundation, a think-tank, and his interaction with representatives of the business and industry.

n his address to the ORF, Hagel would talk about the converging interests between the two countries, the enormous opportunities that the U.S. has with India to capitalise on these converging interests in the region, in Afghanistan and in the defense relationship, Kirby said.

He said this visit is part of a series of administration engagements that builds on the just concluded India trip of Secretary of State John Kerry and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker for the fifth India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue this week, leading up to Modi's upcoming visit to the U.S. in September.

From India, Hagel will travel to Sydney to participate in his second Australia-United States ministerial consultation.

"While the Secretary remains focused on protecting U.S. interests amidst the ongoing developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, this trip underscores his personal commitment to our partnerships with established and emerging powers across the Asia Pacific, as well as the US and our partners' shared interests in a stable, rules-based order that can continue to deliver peace and prosperity throughout the region," Kirby added.

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