The United States and India reaffirmed their defense and security partnership on Tuesday and signed an agreement allowing New Delhi to access U.S. satellite data crucial for targeting missiles and other military assets.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh announced the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in New Delhi between the two countries.
The U.S.-India partnership is more important than ever for regional security and stability, according to Esper. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific for all, particularly in light of increasing aggression and destabilizing activities by China,” he said in remarks shared by the State Department.
Pompeo described the Chinese Communist Party as “no friend to democracy” in remarks shared by the State Department.
Separately, he said in an interview with Indian media Times Now, that the agreements between the U.S. and India underscore an understanding that there is a “battle” between freedom and authoritarianism.
“India, like the United States, has chosen democracy and freedom and sovereignty and all the things that the people of India care so deeply about,” Pompeo said according to a Oct. 27 State Department transcript of the interview.
