U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta will make a two-day visit to India on June 5-6. The visit comes as part of the U.S. plan to bolster its military presence in Asia Pacific. Apart from India-U.S. defence trade, Panetta will also discuss the outcome of the NATO summit and its implications for Afghanistan and its periphery. The visit is part of Panetta’s nine-day Asia trip during which he will participate in the Shangri-la Dialogues and travel to Vietnam. It comes only a week before the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue scheduled for June 13 in Washington D.C.
“I will travel to India to affirm our interest in building a strong security relationship with a country I believe will play a decisive role in shaping the security and prosperity of the 21st century,” stated Panetta at the Shangri-la Dialogue held in Singapore on June 2, 2012.
He is reportedly scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh besides holding talks with the Indian Minister of Defence, A.K. Antony.
To read Leon Panetta’s speech at the Shangri-la dialogue held in Singapore, click here.