Admiral John Michael Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy today held discussions with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff.<br />''<br />''Mr Richardson also interacted with Defence Secretary, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Air Staff and the National Security Council Secretariat. Mr Richardson, who is on an official tour to India, intends  to further consolidate bilateral naval relations between India and USA and also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.<br />''<br />''Indian Navy and US Navy interact regularly at bilateral and multilateral forums. Our correspondent reports, after being accorded Major Defence Partner status by USA in 2016, India – US ties have grown significantly in recent years. <br />''<br />