New Delhi (NVI): Against the backdrop of Chinese aggression on the Ladakh border, the US today said it “stands with India” in dealing with any threat and declared support to India’s right to “defend its sovereignty”.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while making these comments here and slamming China, paid tributes to the 20 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in a clash with Chinese troops in Galwan valley of Ladakh in June.
He said India and the US are cooperating to deal with all kinds of threats, including those posed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Pompeo, who along with US Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper, were here for the crucial 2+2 Indo-US ministerial dialogue also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
During the meeting with Doval, the issue of 7-month-old Ladakh military faceoff is understood to have been discussed.
Pompeo, who also paid a visit to the National War Memorial here, said, “We paid our respect to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Galwan Valley recently.”
He said, “Our nations are committed to working together into expanding our partnerships across many fronts…The US will stand with India in its efforts to defend its sovereignty and its liberty.”
Slamming China, he said at a media interaction, “I am glad to say India and the US are taking steps to strengthen cooperation against all matters of threats, not just those posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Referring to the coronavirus pandemic that “came from Wuhan”, he said, ‘Our leaders and our citizens see with increasing clarity that the Chinese Communist Party is no friend to democracy, the rule of law, transparency nor the freedom of navigation, the foundation of a free and open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
