Manohar Parrikar to meet US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter today: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar would meet US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter here today to discuss ways to deepen the long term strategic partnership between the two countries, according to Pentagon sources.

Parrikar, on his maiden visit to the US as the Defence Minister, would be hosted by his American counterpart for an informal dinner at the Pentagon today and both are scheduled to meet tomorrow as well.

"That will be followed by a bilateral meeting tomorrow in which they will discuss ways to deepen the long-term strategic partnership," the Pentagon Press Secretary, Peter Cook, told reporters at a news conference.

Soon after their meeting, the two leaders would hold a joint press conference. This is for the first time that an Indian Defence Minister would be addressing the Pentagon correspondents.

Thereafter, Carter and Parrikar are scheduled to travel to Norfolk in Virginia where they will fly out to the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and view flight operations on the Eisenhower, Cook said.