Terrorism in the South Asian region and the situation in Afghanistan dominated the talks between the visiting US National Security Advisor, lieutenant General HR McMaster, and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Tuesday. The two NSAs held detailed discussions on Indo-US relations, especially the security aspect of the ties. McMaster also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar.
Terming the meeting between Doval and McMaster as `productive’, the US embassy said that McMaster emphasized the importance of the US-India strategic relationship and reaffirmed India’s designation as a Major Defense Partner. “The two sides discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including their shared interest in increasing defense and counterterrorism cooperation,’ the US embassy said in a statement. McMaster’s visit was a part of regional consultations that included stops in Kabul and Islamabad.
During McMaster’s meeting with Modi, the US NSA shared his perspective on the security situation in the extended region, including in Afghanistan, West Asia and the North Korea. “During the conversation, they exchanged views on how both countries can work together to effectively address the challenge of terrorism and to advance regional peace, security and stability,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. It added that PM recalled his positive telephonic conversations with American President Donald Trump “that reaffirmed the importance attached by both sides to the strategic partnership and to stepping up India-US engagement across the board.”
McMaster had on Monday met Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and its Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and urged Pak to act against the terror networks and use diplomacy instead of proxies.