NSA Ajit Doval speaks to American counterpart Jake Sullivan

New Delhi, Jan 27: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday held a telephonic talk with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan during which he underlined that India and the US were uniquely positioned to work closely on regional and global issues, including combating the scourge of terrorism and ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two NSAs agreed to work closely to further advance India-US relations which are built on shared values and common strategic and security interests. "National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had a telephone call with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan on January 27. NSA Doval conveyed his best wishes to Sullivan on his appointment as National Security Advisor," it said.

"Doval underscored that as leading democracies, with an abiding faith in an open and inclusive world order, India and the US were uniquely positioned to work closely on regional and international issues including combating the scourge of terrorism, maritime security, cyber security and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," the MEA said in a statement.

It said Sullivan stated that the US was looking forward to working together on the bilateral agenda and the common global challenges.

"The two NSAs agreed to work closely to further advance India-US relations, which are built on shared values and common strategic and security interests. They highlighted the need to work collectively to address challenges in the post-Covid era and further expand the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership," the MEA said.

Earlier, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and exchanged views on pressing regional and global issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific.