Updated: October 27, 2020 2:38:49 pm
EAM S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with their US conterparts Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper. (Source: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
A day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arrived in India, both the countries signed the crucial Indo-US Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), which pertains to geo-spatial intelligence, sharing information on maps and satellite images for defence purposes. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the third edition of the 2+2 talks with Pompeo and Esper.
After inking the pact, Singh talked about protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty. “We held a comprehensive discussion on a range of key issues. Inking of BECA with US is a significant move. Our military to military cooperation with the US moving forward very well. We identified projects for joint development of defence equipment. We reaffirmed our commitment to peace and security in Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Esper, on the other hand, talked about increasing aggression and destabilising activities by China while Pompeo referred to the Galwan incident where 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
