'Relationship has never been stronge

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a 10-year defense agreement on Friday, a major step toward further strengthening the partnership with India. He said the two countries' "defense relationship has never been stronger."

Hegseth told X that he met with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and signed the agreement. The head of the War Department (formerly known as the Department of Defense) further said that the agreement advances the India-US defense partnership, which he described as "a cornerstone of regional stability and deterrence."

He added, "We are enhancing our coordination, information sharing, and technical cooperation. Our defense relationship has never been stronger."

After signing the agreement, Hegseth thanked Singh for the partnership between Washington and New Delhi. He said, "This is one of the most important US-India relationships in the world. Our strategic alliance is based on shared interests, mutual trust, and a commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

Pete Hegseth described the 10-year defense framework as "ambitious" and said it is an important step for the militaries of both countries, laying out a "roadmap for even deeper and more meaningful cooperation."

The Secretary of War further said, "This underscores America's long-term commitment to our shared security and our strong partnership."

Rajnath Singh had announced his participation in the ASEAN meetings in Kuala Lumpur and stated that the objective of this informal meeting of defense ministers was to "further strengthen defense and security cooperation between ASEAN member states and India and advance the 'Act East Policy.'"

The meeting between Rajnath Singh and Hegseth took place during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to Kuala Lumpur. This meeting comes just days after Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Jaishankar said he and Rubio discussed India-US bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues.

These high-level meetings between Indian and US officials come amid ongoing trade negotiations following tensions sparked by President Donald Trump's move to double tariffs on India's purchases of Russian oil.

At the East Asia Summit on Monday, Jaishankar highlighted India's growing concerns about disruptions to energy trade, market access, and supply chains.

He said the international community should adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and accelerate efforts to resolve conflicts like those in Gaza and Ukraine, which have disrupted food security and threatened energy flows.

Jaishankar said, "Energy trade is becoming increasingly narrow, resulting in market distortions. Principles are selectively applied, and what is preached is not necessarily practiced." He was referring to the 25 percent additional tariff imposed by Trump on Indian goods for purchasing Russian oil.

Last week, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal categorically stated that India would not hastily sign any trade agreement or reject conditions imposed by partner countries that limit its trading options.

He stressed that trade agreements are not just about tariffs or market access, but about building trust, long-term relationships, and creating sustainable frameworks for global trade cooperation.

Goyal said, "India will not sign any trade agreement in a hurry." He added, "In a very short-term context, it is not about what is going to happen in the next six months. It is not just about selling steel to the US."

Goyal said India and the US are in talks and teams from both sides are working closely. "We are continuing our discussions with them and the talks are progressing. We hope to work towards a fair and equitable agreement in the near future," he said.