Article Posted on : - May 29, 2015

WASHINGTON (PTI): US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will visit Visakhapatnam port during his maiden trip to India early next month, indicating the significance the Pentagon attaches to India's modernisation of its navy.

In fact, Vizag would be his first stop in India, Carter told reporters travelling with him on his Asia-Pacific trip that also takes him to Singapore and Vietnam.

The Defence Secretary described Vizag as a "major naval port" which is also the headquarters of the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command.

"This is an Indian installation which is important to India's 'act east' strategy, which is one of the ways they express their role and their residence in the Asia-Pacific theatre," Carter said.

In New Delhi, in addition to holding talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar, Carter would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the Indian leadership, Carter said he would be "discussing some of our defence technical cooperation".

"This is a big priority for the US, a big priority for the Indian government as well, but that's true of virtually every country in the region," he said.