US sees India as 'enduring partner', Ashton Carter tells PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: The US today said it views India as a "close strategic ally" and an "enduring partner" and that its policy of 'Rebalance' and India's "Act East' policy complimented each other.

The views were conveyed by US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi when he called on him here.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral relations and exchanged views on the regional situation, including in the South Asia and the Asia Pacific region.

"Secretary Carter conveyed that the US viewed India a close strategic ally and an enduring partner and that both sides were moving from the buyer-seller relationship towards a manufacturing partnership," a PMO statement said.

"Secretary Carter conveyed that the US policy of 'Rebalance' and India's "Act East' policy complimented each other," it added.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the progress in bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries, and expressed hope that discussions with the framework of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative between the two countries would progress along his vision of 'Make in India' in the defence sector, the statement said.