India’s growing military prowess, a stabilising force in Asia-Pacific, says US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin

New Delhi: The US has said that India and other partner countries have important role for peace in the Indo-Pacific region. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, while speaking at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on Friday, described Indo-Pacific as a priority theatre for Washington. The dialogue was organised by International Institute of Strategic Studies, London. He said, free and open Indo-Pacific is at the heart of American national security strategies and the power of the partnerships that regional nations have built with the US forms the core for a peaceful world. The US Defence Secretary underlined the important role India and other partners can play. He said, US is also weaving closer ties with other partners especially India, the world’s largest democracy. Austin said, we believe that its growing military capability and technological prowess can be a stabilizing force in the region.