US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh signed a major defense agreement at an ASEAN summit in Malaysia on Friday, as the two countries work on repairing recently frayed ties.

Both Hegseth and Singh praised the accord, titled "Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership," which is set to last for a decade.

In an online post Hegseth described it as "a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence."

The agreement would help deepen coordination, intelligence sharing and technology collaboration between the two countries, he said.

"It's a significant step for our two militaries, a roadmap for deeper and even more meaningful collaboration ahead," Hegseth told reporters after the signing.

In turn, India's Singh lauded the "fruitful meeting" with his American counterpart and said the framework "will usher in a new era" in India-US defense ties.

He said it reflects a "growing strategic convergence" between the two nations and is critical for the Indo-Pacific region.

Ahead of the meeting, the two sides were also expected to discuss a review of India's plans to procure US military hardware.

Navigating strained US-India ties

Ties between India and the US have been at a low since US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% levy on some Indian exports, a far cry from the warm relationship the two leaders enjoyed during Trump's first term.

The conflict partly stems from India's commitment to purchasing Russian oil. The Trump administration says the sales are funding Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The US tariffs prompted India to respond by pausing purchases of US defense equipment.

Last week, Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "assured" him that India would stop buying Russian oil. Indian officials have neither confirmed nor denied Trump's claims.

However, both leaders have tried to downplay tensions, with Modi thanking Trump recently for his greetings on the Hindu festival of Diwali.

The Indian prime minister went on to pledge closer cooperation on fighting terrorism, without mentioning the disputes centering on tariffs and oil.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic