WATCH: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives in Delhi for 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, receives Guard of Honour

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day visit for the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which will be held on November 9-10.

Upon his arrival, he was warmly received by the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

#WATCH | US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin arrives in Delhi; received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan

Austin will co-chair the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and hold a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. pic.twitter.com/N6YZRiZlpX

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2023

Soon after his India visit, Austin is set to travel to South Korea and Indonesia, marking his ninth trip to the Indo-Pacific region.

During his arrival in New Delhi, he was accorded a guard of honor as a sign of respect for the visiting US Secretary of Defense.

#WATCH | US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin being accorded the Guard of Honour at Palam airport, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/jBSegW4k7P

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2023

After the arrival of Lloyd Austin, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “US Secretary of Defence has just landed and we are expecting US Secretary Blinken later in the evening. Various issues will be discussed but I would not like to prejudge it.”

VIDEO | “US Secretary of Defence has just landed and we are expecting US Secretary Blinken later in the evening. Various issues will be discussed but I would not like to prejudge it,” says @MEAIndia spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on the visit of US Secretary of Defence Autin Lloyd… pic.twitter.com/d4wQG29IMv

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 9, 2023

The US State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel had earlier highlighted the depth of the partnership between India and the US. He added Blinken will engage in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue alongside Austin. Discussions are anticipated to revolve around strengthening security cooperation and other important topics.

The dialogue will provide a platform for top-level discussions between the US and India, addressing critical bilateral and global matters, with special emphasis on developments unfolding in the Indo-Pacific region.

US State Secretary Blinken and Defence Secretary Austin will meet with their Indian counterparts, Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, as well as other senior officials.

The discussions are expected to encompass a wide spectrum of issues, including strengthening bilateral relations, addressing global concerns, and promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

With inputs from PTI