Washington: US Defence Minister Lloyd Austin will visit India next week. The US Defence Ministry Pentagon announced this on Wednesday. This will be his first overseas trip as a senior member of the Biden administration. This is the first time India has been included in the first foreign visit of a US Defence Minister.
“Austin will hold meetings with his counterpart minister and other senior officials to discuss the importance of international defense relations,” the Pentagon said. He will also reiterate America’s commitment to an independent and open Indo-Pacific region. “
The Pentagon said Austin would begin its first overseas trip on March 13. He will visit the US Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii. He will meet top leaders of US troops and government in Japan and will meet top government leaders in Korea and India. The date of Austin’s visit to India has not been announced. However, this will be the site of the last leg of his first foreign trip.
