US National Security Strategy Document attaches India as a Key Partner: MEA
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, December 9, 2025. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has warmly welcomed the newly released United States National Security Strategy 2025, highlighting New Delhi’s strategic significance to Washington.
The report identifies India as a key partner in global security and strategic initiatives, underscoring the strong and multifaceted bilateral relationship between the two countries.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a weekly media briefing, emphasised that the US strategy document reaffirms the importance the United States places on India as a crucial partner. He noted that India and the US enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership and are consistently working towards enhancing these ties further.
The US National Security Strategy 2025 explicitly calls for improved commercial relations with India, recognising the country’s growing economic influence and strategic role. It encourages New Delhi to actively contribute to Indo-Pacific security, particularly through continued cooperation within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), which also includes Australia and Japan.
The strategy describes the Indo-Pacific as a vital region, accounting for nearly half of the world’s GDP. It frames this area as a key economic and geopolitical battleground of the coming century. Against this backdrop, the United States aims to work closely with treaty allies and strategic partners, whose combined economies make up an impressive USD 65 trillion, to counter predatory economic practices in the region.
India’s expanding economy and its strategic position have made it central to the overall US strategic calculus. The strategy highlights enhanced cooperation opportunities in technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and defence technologies. It also reaffirms the US commitment to the Quad framework, which has become a cornerstone of diplomatic and security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.
On the security front, during the briefing, Jaiswal also referenced the recently concluded 21st meeting of the India-US Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT), which took place on 3 December. He described counter-terrorism cooperation as a vital pillar of the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership.
Both sides strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks, including the one in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April and the terror incident near the Red Fort in Delhi on 10 November. The two nations collectively renewed their commitment to multilateral cooperation against terrorism, engaging through the UN, the Quad, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and other international forums.
The MEA further stated that India and the US unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism. They emphasised the necessity of sustained and concerted action to confront terrorism effectively. This mutual resolve was reaffirmed during the JWG meeting, underscoring their dedication to maintaining strong counter-terrorism ties.
The discussions also stressed the importance of expanding the list of designated terrorist organisations under the UN 1267 sanctions regime. Both countries advocated for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa’ida affiliates, as well as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and their proxy groups, sponsors, financiers, and supporters. Such designations ensure that these groups face global asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes.
Reflecting the growing convergence between the two nations on counterterrorism, India expressed gratitude to the US Department of State for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This move indicates the deepening alignment of India and the US in targeting terror groups operating in South Asia.
The overall outlook presented by the US National Security Strategy 2025 emphasises a commitment to deepening ties with India across economic, technological, and security dimensions. The US sees India as an indispensable partner in shaping the future geopolitical and security architecture of the Indo-Pacific, while both nations work closely to address shared challenges such as terrorism and regional stability.
